Events: The Wilderness converges to the roof of Europe.

 

Photo: Guillaume Blanc, Eperon Migot
Photo: Guillaume Blanc -Eperon Migot

The General Assembly of Mountain Wilderness International, which takes place every two years, will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2014, in the Chamonix Valley. It will be organized by the French chapter of the organization with delegates from all Europe and with representatives from Pakistan and Iran.

As it happens that proMONT BLANC’s General Assembly will run in parallel, it was decided jointly to give some shine to these events and surround them with a series of activities in the interest of the Mont Blanc territory heritage (see also the PDF for the Events program and the Flyer -in French).

Succession of events:

  • Friday evening, 13th of June: Mont-Blanc Strategy round-table
  • Saturday, 14th of June: Mountain Wilderness International General Assembly
  • Saturday evening, 14th of June: Panel discussion “The Wilderness made me”
  • Sunday Morning, 15th of June: Protest for “Silence”

image002The Mont-Blanc Strategy round table, co-organized by Mountain Wilderness and proMONT BLANC will be held on Friday, June 13th, 5 PM, “Bicentenaire” Conference room in Chamonix.

In the constructive spirit supported by the « Call for our mountains », launched, among others, by Mountain Wilderness France, three key issues for the range will be addressed: “Has the Mont-Blanc an ecological value”? ”Could everything be done in the Mountains?» And “The Mont Blanc tomorrow” .
Two years after the Argentière public panel and after the initial articulation of the “Strategy for the Mont-Blanc”, it is an appropriate time to review the progress made thus far and define how to move forth taking into account various factors such as: national and international contexts, changes in trans-border cooperation and new opportunities to possibly give the “Espace Mont-Blanc” (EMB is the entity managing initiatives on the three sides of the Mont-Blanc) a legal status to get things done with national and European authorities. And indeed, what about the initiative for the Mont-Blanc registration at the UNESCO World Heritage? Should this still be the prevailing label?
280px-Langkofel_stchristinaPanel discussion, How Wilderness made me: A conference organized by Mountain Wilderness France will be held on Saturday, June 14th, at 8:30 PM at the Majestic in Chamonix. Several international mountaineers will share their life experience on the theme “The wilderness made me”. In this public event, seasoned mountain practitioners of various backgrounds will discuss their practice (e.g. climbing) and will explain how their immersion in the mountain natural environment helped them to become the man/woman they are, how it contributed to building their humanity and sociability.
The idea is to demonstrate that what they get out as “exceptional practitioners” in exceptional environments is possible for all regardless of the practice level, provided that the naturalness state of the traveled land allow anyone to feel being the first one to go.
Both meetings will take place under the auspices of the “Coordination Montagne”, an action coordination organization including most of the French associations dealing with mountains environment and practices in France.
stop heliskiing at the marmolada

Protest for Silence: A “Silence” protest will take place on Sunday morning of June 15at 11 AM on the “Mer de Glace” near the “Moulins”. It will be organized under the aegis of Mountain Wilderness International, its location is currently being identified.
In the absence of specific regulations, the Mont Blanc undergoes a multiplication of commercial and touristic flights. For the mountain practitioners the walls reflecting echoe of the engines roars becomes unbearable in this realm of beauty and silence . The Mont Blanc deserves better. At a moment where the “Espace Mont Blanc” is about to launch its “future trans-border strategy” which contains a “airspace” section, it is appropriate to recall that the priority for these places should be a return to « peace and serenity »

Always committed to an effective Mont Blanc protection, Mountain Wilderness proposes that the « Espace Mont Blanc » moves towards the implementation of a harmonized and stringent regulation for motorized flights on the entire range equivalent to that found in Natural Reserves and French National Parks.

See Practical Info-Silence for more details

(BM)

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