120 motivated hikers and a group of adventurous mountain bikers mastered 40 kilometres of spectacular hiking routes and 38 kilometres of bike trails in the French Alpine region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. A real highlight of this year's PATRIZIA Hiking Challenge, in which impressive heights were scaled not only in sporting terms but also financially.
Together, it was not just about the sporting challenge, but above all about a new school in Bafia. Over the previous three months, the participants of the PATRIZIA Chamonix Hiking Challenge had raised over 200,000 Euros for the PATRIZIA School in Bafia, Cameroon.
Thanks to this fantastic result, the school can be financed and important inclusion projects can be carried out locally.
Climbing the mountains by bike
Day 1 of the Hiking Challenge: It's the bikers' turn before the hikers! Depending on the level of the athletes, over 1,660 metres in altitude were conquered. The eight-hour tour took the mountain bikers and e-mountain bikers partly along the Arve, from Chamonix to Argenière and back again.
While the mountain bikers mastered their sporting challenge, the other Hiking Challenge participants and sponsors arrived from all over the world: The 120 participants from Augsburg, London, Luxembourg, Copenhagen and even Toronto had already shown top fundraising performance in the run-up to the event. The next day was a sporting day for them too...
Hiking towards the sun
The first day of hiking started in the small French municipality of Les Houches. The day started foggy, but the clouds cleared into bright sunshine on the ascent, allowing the participants to enjoy breathtaking views of Mont Blanc. Conquering the mountain together for a good cause - that also brought everyone together. At the end of the day, a joint immersion in French culture was organised: a friendly boules tournament!
On the second day of the hike, the participants were greeted by a bright sun over the majestic Mont Blanc. In the best hiking weather, they made their way up to the highest point of the challenge. In Le Tour at the upper end of the Chamonix valley, the obligatory team photo was taken - with exhausted but proud participants. By lunchtime, the most experienced teams had climbed two peaks and braved a strong wind at the summit.
A big thank you!
Tired but happy: this is how the participants celebrated themselves and their sponsors after successfully completing the Hiking Challenge - and rightly so. Because thanks to the participants and the great sponsors, the impressive sum of more than 200,000 euros was raised for the school in Bafia.
This enables 900 children to gain access to education every year. In a country where only two out of six children finish primary school, this is an incredible success and a beacon of hope for an entire region.
And the school will be more than just a space for learning. Its innovative approach, which also includes plans for digital learning, an English-language area and the installation of solar panels and a well for a safe water supply, makes it a model for sustainable development. With the PATRIZIA Foundation's ‘Ready for the Future’ programme, the pupils receive additional support in a second project phase and are prepared for the future.
Everyone who has collected or donated money is contributing to real, lasting change. Many thanks to everyone!
Our special thanks go to our sponsors. See an overview of all sponsors and the link to donate here.
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