Global Youth Summit reports 2004

Cross-Cultural Mountain Conservation Youth Project 2004 in Kazakhstan
The Cross-Cultural Mountain Conservation Youth Project 2004 took place in Kazakhstan from August 23 to 30. It was organised by the Kazakhstan Mountaineering Federation and the Himalayan Adventure Trust Japan (HAT-J). 30 teenagers from India, Pakistan, Bhutan and Japan joined the project together with a few HAT-J members from Japan and many supporting volunteers from Kazakhstan. They took part in climbing, trekking, environmental and cultural exchange activities. Read more here

Trekking to base camp and Memorial K2
In 2004 it was the 50th year anniversary of the first ascent of K2. In 1954 an Italian expedition went to the top of the second highest mountain in the world. This year the Italian Alpine Club organised another expedition to the top and a trek to Base Camp and to the Memorial K2 in the south slope at 5200 meters. A group of 13 young people between 15-17 years old and six youth leaders from the Youth Mountaineering group of the Italian Alpine Club trekked to the Memorial K2. The trek is 210 kilometres, of these 160 on the Baltoro and Godwin Austen glaciers. Read more and see pictures here

International Mountaineering camp in Georgia 2004
The camp took place in Kazbek, the Caucasus, 3 – 10 July, 2004. Seven guides and youth from Switzerland, Austria and the Ukraine took part, sharing mountaineering experience, getting unforgettable memories and many new friends. The highlight of the trip was spending one night on the plateau in tents pitched on snow and ice, and of course the ascent of the summit of Mount Kazbek. Read more and see pictures here

Eurasia youth climbing camp
The camp was held from July 24 to August 15. It started in Ekaterinburg , moved to the rock massive Shikhan, then back to Ekaterinburg for one day, then to Krasnoyarsk and its national park “Stolby” (Rock Pillars) and at last to the mountain region Ergaki in the West Sayany. The 29 participants and leaders made ascents of two mountains, learned about safety in mountains with the Swiss guide Fredi Abegglen, and cleared up trash around Shikhan and in the national park “Stolby.” The participants also took part in cultural excursions, made new friends and got to know a new mountain region, Ergaki. Read more here.

Maretlwane environmental project, South Africa,
To join in with the UIAA Youth Global Summit, the MCSA Magaliesberg Section invited a group of thirty children from Atteridgeville to Maretlwane in the Magaliesberg 22 – 24 October 2004. These children come from disadvantaged families and had never had the opportunity to be out in the mountains. The theme of the weekend was Mountain Biodiversity, with the aim to expose the pupils to mountain environments and to gain first hand experiences in nature. The children thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Read more and see picture here

Monte Rosa trek
“I was there too!” This has been the enthusiastic thought of the young Italians, Slovenians and Swiss who participated in the trekking tour around the Monte Rosa massif. 25 people, young mountaineers and their tutors hiked across seven valleys, several mountain passes and hills. The tour started on 1st July, and was completed on 6th July. The journey was a ring-trek 160 kilometres long surrounded by a wonderful nature scenario. Read more here

International Camp in Slovenia, “SAFE MOUNTAINS SKILLS”
From 13 – 21 August 2004, the Youth Commission of the Alpine Association of Slovenia organised the first International UIAA YC camp “Safe Mountains Skills”. It took place at the Mountaineering education centre Bavšica in the Julian Alps. The main emphasis was on social gathering, meeting new friends, new cultures and languages, and of course on exchanging mountaineering and climbing knowledge / experiences and to get some fresh, new knowledge and experiences. The participants came from Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and Slovenia and was supported by a Slovene team (guides, doctor). Read more and see pictures here

Report of Mt Qizi Tibet Snow Mountaineering Expedition 2004
August 2004, a team from the University of Hong Kong, Institute of Human Performance, travelled to Tibet to attempt a summit of Mt Quizi (6206 metres). The team consisted of 15 students, five officials and a doctor from Hong Kong and seven mountain guides, a cook and instructors from Tibet Mountaineering School. None of the students had experience with snow and high altitude environments, so they trained intensively in Hong Kong before the expedition. The training workshops included the theory of Acute Mountain Sick (AMS), snow skills, trekking skills, use of ice axe and snow equipment, rope work and first aid. Allowing time for acclimatisation, the team used 10 days to reach the summit. Some participants suffered from altitude sickness and had to return early, but 12 of the team members made it to the summit.  Read more and see pictures here

International environmental camp Feichtaualm 2004 in Austria
The environmental camp was organised from the 18 to 24 July at Feichtaualm/Sengsengebirge (National Park Kalkalpen) by the ÖAV youth.16 teenagers from Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia and India took part.
They removed plants that are not healthy for cows and covered a water basin with wood to improve the water quality. The participants also carried two new wooden benches up to the Uwe-Anderle-Biwak, 1583m. During the week the participants got to know a lot about the national park Kalkalpen. Read more and see pictures here

Ascent of ELBRUS - 2004
From 1 – 10 August 2004, 37 young people from Austria, Germany, Spain, France, South Africa, the Ukraine and Russia took part in a youth expedition to the top of Mt Elbrus. On 6 August, 34 of the participants successfully made the ascent of the highest peak of the Caucasus. Read more and see pictures here

Philippines - Summer Youth Eco Camp 2004
The Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines Inc. (MFPI) in cooperation with the Makiling Center for Mountain Eco-Systems (MCME) organised a Summer Youth Eco-Camp at the Mt. Makiling Botanical Gardens from May 21 – 22, 2004. 37 youth from 8 to 15 years old joined the camp. The camp high-lights were mountain hikes to the Raptor Centre, which houses a number of bird species including the endangered Philippine Eagle, a clean-up climb to Flat Rocks and short treks to examine Philippine endemic and endangered plants along the slopes of Mt. Makiling. Read more and see pictures here

International Ski touring camp in Slovenia
This ski touring camp took place in Komna, in the Julian Alps from 31 January - 7 February 2004. The base was the mountain hut "Dom na Komni" (1520 m). Komna is ideal starting point for ski touring tours in the neighbourhood and also for longer trips. The participants came from Austria, Spain, Switzerland and Germany in addition to the Slovene team (guides, doctor). Everybody in the group was fit and good skiers and the group was also lucky with the weather. In addition to the skiing there was of course time to socialise and make new friends. Read more and see pictures here

South Africa - Stanford Lake College hikes up Iron Crown
On Sunday 6 June 2004, 35 Stanford Lake College Students and 8 staff members left in the early morning to start the hike up to Iron Crown – the highest peak in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. For some of the students it was their first big mountain hike. It was a great opportunity to start! Read more and see pictures here  

Cleanup on Cotopaxi and the TOP of the Highest Active Volcano in the World
Four young mountaineers visited Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador, together with students from the Pachamama school. The mountaineers gave the students a lesson on the formation of glaciers and showed how climbers use ropes to pull themselves out of a crevasse. They took a small group to the glacier on Cotopaxi and the rest of the students to the waterfalls in the area. Together with the students they cleaned up rubbish from the valley at the foot of Cotopaxi. The mountaineers also climbed Cotopaxi as part of the ToptoTop project. Read more