The Bransons head to Mont Blanc
- By Jack Preston -
- Sep 03, 2012
Richard Branson is set to this week join his children Sam and Holly in France, as they attempt to tackle Mont Blanc in The Big Climb.
The journey, which will mark the launch of Big Change Charitable Trust, will see the Virgin Group founder take to the mountains along with the six founder members of the charity – Holly Branson, Sam Branson, Princess Beatrice, Isabella Calthorpe, Sam Richardson and Phil Nevin.
This historic peak, one of the most sought after summits in the world, is the highest in Western Europe – towering nearly 4,810 metres above sea level.
“Now that we’ve actually arrived in France and are standing at the foothills of Mont Blanc looking up – I’m not sure this climb was such a good idea!” confessed Holly Branson.
“We really wanted to do something that shows what Big Change is all about – we want to encourage every generation in the UK to challenge themselves to help young people across the country. We couldn’t very well say this is what Big Change is all about and not take on a challenge ourselves! But a 4,810 metre high mountain, when none of us are climbers, may be a step too far!”
The Big Change team will be in Chamonix for a week to get acclimatized to the conditions on Mont Blanc. They will wait for the perfect conditions – and break in their climbing boots – with shorter mountain climbs in the first few days. A summit attempt is expected by Thursday, although may run in to the weekend.
To find out more about their work, head over to the Big Change website. You can donate to Big Change via their Virgin Money Giving page.
By Jack Preston. Senior Content Executive. Tweets at @JackPressedOn
