July 15 – Twelve Italian children between the ages of 15 and 17 are on an expedition on the sacred mountain of the Armenian people, Ararat, accompanied by 13 AG Titled (Youth Mountaineering) climbers from the Italian Alpine Club (CAI). The journey intertwines nature, history and culture, perfect for the training of future adults and meaningful in relation to the celebration of the 150th anniversary since the founding of the Club. The project “CAI Expedition to Mount Ararat” will be held July 18-31 in Turkey. The event of national scope has as protagonists young people, the primary target of the collaboration between the CAI national committees, which combined their independent education and mountain culture promotion missions. The initiative was born from the collaboration of the Central Commission for Youth Mountaineering with other organs of the Society – such as the Central Medical Commission, the Central Scientific Committee and the Central Commission for the Protection of the Environment – it was sponsored by the UIAA (International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation), the Municipality of Reggio Emilia and the National Association “Comitato Primo Tricolore.” The president of the Central Committee of the Youth Mountaineering, Walter Brambilla, said: “The boys are prepared both physically and on a cultural level. For this reason, in addition to organized excursions, there are some sightseeing activities on schedule, including a visit to Istanbul. After the climb, we will present a commemorative album of the event while the participants will be busy until the end of year in some meetings throughout the country with CAI and Youth Mountaineering groups. Their mission will be to illustrate the experience and report on its educational significance.”
