UAE resident's high hopes of raising Dh40,000 for charity

A young woman plans on climbing the Mont Blanc mountain next month to raise funds to feed impoverished children in the Middle East.

Amelie Zegmou will climb Mont Blanc to raise money for underprivaliged children in the Middle East. Duncan Chard / The National

DUBAI // Amelie Zegmout likes a challenge, especially one that helps a good cause while pushing her to the limit.

The French-Moroccan, who lives in Dubai, plans to climb Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, next month to raise funds to feed impoverished children in the Middle East.

Ms Zegmout is hoping to raise almost Dh40,000 by making it to the summit, accompanied by a guide.

“The decision came in parallel with the UN’s World Food Programme Ramadan campaign to feed children across the Middle East,” said Ms Zegmout, a former vice president of the Rotary Club of Jumeirah.

“It’s quite ambitious but we’re committed to matching all the donations made online or to the WFP so, for us, it was important to do something a little extra and go the extra mile.”

Ms Zegmout has experience in mountaineering and negotiating some of the world’s toughest terrain. “I’ve been trekking for quite a long time now,” she said. “I started in 2003 with Kilimanjaro, I’ve done several climbs in Nepal and Morocco and I always found it interesting to link treks to charity.”

There is a cable car that carries tourists close to the summit of Mont Blanc but the route Ms Zegmout will take is only for the adventurous.

Four months ago a British man and his 12-year-old son were killed during a hike, while in May a 34-year-old British snowboarder died after falling 3,600ft (1.1 kilometres) from a ridge close to the summit.

“Mont Blanc is not a trail, it’s a climb because you have ropes, ice axes and crampons,” Ms Zegmout said. “It’s known to be the deadliest mountain in Europe but people don’t think that because it’s only 4,810 metres. It’s not Mount Everest, but you need training.”

Ms Zegmout has been training twice a day for the past few months.

“It’s usually a two to three-day trek but that means long hours – the first day is around five to six hours,” she said.

“Going on my own with only a guide is also quite scary. It’s good because you go according to your own rhythm and there’s less pressure but it’s very difficult to motivate yourself so, mentally, I find it quite challenging.”

She plans to travel to France on August 2 and start her climb on August 10.

All money raised will go towards the Rotary Club of Jumeirah-WFP Ramadan campaign for impoverished children in the Middle East, including Syria and Yemen.

The WFP will hold an exhibition by local artists at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dubai International Financial Centre at 9.30pm tomorrow.

Visit my.wfpaltruist.org/pfp/justaddhope to donate.