Klara and Dorothea Egger have reaped the benefits. Schwienbacher's commitment to offering the people of the Ultental valley future prospects is also the basis for her job. Four years ago, the 71-year-old founded the social cooperative "Lebenswertes Ulten" and brought Dorothea and Klara Egger on board.

The women agreed to process the wool of Ulten's mountain sheep at the Schmiedhof in St. Walburg. They named their wool factory, where fine slippers, table sets, carpets, mattresses, clothes and much more are produced, “Bergauf,” which in this context means “improvement.” "We urgently need to create new jobs, otherwise our villages will die out," says Klara Egger.

There is one statistic that the do-it-yourselfers can only shake their heads at. According to estimates, about 100 tons of wool are thrown away every year in South Tyrol. For the group of women, however, there is no more valuable raw material and none that is as deeply connected to the Ultental valley. Wool is warm, durable, and not synthetic. "Wool contains water and oxygen, sulfur and many other elements that are good for the body. People who surround themselves with wool a lot are more balanced and communicative," says Schwienbacher.

In the Ultental valley, wool is also good for the soul. The farmers deliver the wool to the wool mill now instead of to the rubbish dump. Klara and Dorothea spend a part of every day in the shop, which is also their workshop and has become like a second home to them. And they are no longer alone. Martina, 50, makes the mattresses, Cornelia, 30, takes care of the administration, Juliane, 20, lends a hand everywhere. Waltraud Schwienbacher works voluntarily for Bergauf and often likes to drop by. So what would these women do if the Bergauf project didn't exist? That is unimaginable.