Every year things have to be a little more extreme for 16-year-old Joshua and Lars. After hiking and cycling trips, the teenagers have now turned their attention to mountaineering. Next summer they will climb one of the highest mountains in Italy, for the Beatrix Spierfonds.
The mountain that will be contested is Gran Paradiso, in the far northwest of Italy. “It’s 4,061 meters. That’s quite a distance,” says Lars.
Most of the climb will be done on foot, he knows. But crampons are needed. “Certainly on the glacier. And at the end you will encounter a climb. So there you will be secured and you will climb to the top via iron pins.”
Lars comes from Nieuweroord, Joshua from Kerkenveld. Although the villages and surrounding meadows are as flat as a billiard table, the young men are busy training by running and walking quite a few meters with a backpack on. But preparation also consists of gathering information. And just as important: the two are busy raising money.
“It is our tradition to go on adventures and set goals,” says Joshua. “We had already decided: we want to go climbing, we want to get into mountaineering. And how can we make it even more special than it already is? For us, that was by linking it to a good cause and by turning it into a fundraising campaign.”
The proceeds go to the Beatrix Spierfonds. Under the motto ‘Climbing for strength’ they want to use their healthy muscles for people with muscle diseases. “At this point we have raised almost 2,000 euros,” says Joshua. “We’ve been working on it for about a month and a half, so it’s going quite well.” They hope to raise 15,000 euros.
