Switzerland Tourism has launched a 100% Women Peak Challenge. It lasts from 8 March until 8 September 2021 and has the aim to encourage female mountaineers to climb all 48 4,000m peaks in Switzerland in teams made up exclusively of women. A high-altitude ski tour that covers three 4,000m peaks with the participation of 4x Winter Olympian Chemmy Alcott (UK) marks the kick-off of the 100% Women Peak Challenge and can be followed on social media with #peakchallenge. The initiative aims to motivate women to pursue their dreams and encourage them to achieve their full potential when it comes to outdoor activities and mountain sport.
A lack of female role models prevents other women from starting or even thinking about outdoor activities such as mountaineering or having the confidence to make further progress. The aim of the 100% Women Peak Challenge is to encourage women-only teams to ascend the 48 highest peaks in the Swiss Alps. The challenge will run until 8 September 2021 and the participants will be encouraged to share their achievement on Peakchallenge.myswitzerland.com.
From 8 to 11 March, the three athletes Chemmy Alcott (UK), Johanna Ratschiller (Italy) and Caja Schöpf (Germany), together with mountain guides and Mammut Pro Team Athletes Caro North (Switzerland) and Nadine Wallner (Austria), will climb the three 4000m metre peaks Allalinhorn, Alphubel and Strahlhorn in the canton of Valais. ST is running the challenge together with its partners, the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), the Swiss Mountain Guide Association and the Swiss outdoor brand Mammut. Less experienced women can profit from the expert advice of these partners or participate in guided climbs. The campaign is not about competing against each other but rather focusing on experiencing the 48 4,000m peaks together.
The 100% Women Peak Challenge is set to encourage and motivate women to pursue their dreams. Climbing can mean pushing one’s limits but it requires and trains mindfulness and standing on top of a mountain peak is an extraordinary, even transformational experience. The majority of travel decisions are made by women, no matter who they travel with and women-only travel marks one of the current trends. Especially in the outdoor sector, women seem to feel more relaxed in women-only groups and many participants describe such adventures as a completely new, different and motivating experience when it comes to outdoor sports. Leaving their own comfort zone cannot only be beneficial for their own progress, but women will be influencing their peers while becoming role models for outdoor activities.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a 4,000m peak though, there are many other activities that can be undertaken by women in order to act as role models. Together with the tourism industry, ST has gathered over 200 offers that are mainly taking place outdoors and are especially geared towards women in order to provide a female perspective of Switzerland MySwitzerland.com/women.