La Grave

© Mountain Wilderness

Rope access study

© Hugo Pedel / Vuedici.org

UNDERSTANDING WORKING

CONDITIONS FOR ROPE ACCESS

TECHNICIANS

Following an epidemiological study

of injuries among French rope access

technicians, supported by the Petzl

Foundation and published in 2017,

the research collective at the University of

Lyon 1 has been awarded a research grant

to deepen our knowledge of this profession.

This project began in 2020 and is starting

to delivery preliminary results. The study

is focused specif ically on the evolution

of the psychological state of rope access

technicians throughout a week of work,

as well as the mechanical and physiological

load experienced by professionals in this

demanding profession for both body and

mind. These results will be accessible soon

on the Petzl Foundation website.

Support: €15,000 from 2020 to 2023

ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION IN

THE MOUNTAINS

In the mountains, transportation is one

of the main contributors to CO

2

and f ine-

particle emissions. Many organizations

provide car-free itineraries or guides

for accessing the mountains, such as

changerdapproche.org, alpes-la.org.

To take it one step further, camptocamp.

org, a community platform for mountain

recreation, is introducing a search engine

to help people f ind public transport solutions

by consolidating all information from public

and private transportation companies.

The organization’s f irst objective is

to encourage as many people as possible

to give up their personal vehicles.

Camptocamp also aims to encourage

public authorities to propose more

transportation routes that lead to starting

points for mountain activities, and at

a higher frequency.

Support: €25,000 in 2024 and €25,000 in 2025

THE PETZL FOUNDATION

the sole benef it of downhill skiers who have

a €59 ski pass and a few developers in

search of highly prof itable opportunities.

In France, the marquis of Quinsonas

closed access to his land for hikers and

climbers (but not for hunters), jeopardizing

recreational outdoor activities on a large

section of a natural preserve in the

Chartreuse mountains in Isère and Savoie,

France.

The Petzl Foundation is offering resources

and support to the organizations that are

defending free public access to nature. We

are also working closely with a team of legal

experts to ensure that the law recognizes

the right of all to enjoy nature — under

certain conditions — independent

of property rights.

Organizations receiving support: Rennes University and Nice

University, La Grave Autrement and collectif de Chartreuse.

Support for these three projects: €40,000 between 2023

and 2024

Continuing in 2024

Every year, the Petzl Foundation

supports more than f ifty projects.

Here are some examples of our 2024

commitments.

DEFENDING ACCESS TO NATURE

AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Over the last few years, threats to outdoor

recreation in the mountains and at crags

have grown more pressing.

In 2020, the FFME (French Federation of

Mountaineering and Climbing) made the

decision to withdraw its policy of signing

agreements with land owners where

climbing areas are located. This decision

led to many public and private land owners

prohibiting climbing on their land for fear of

being held liable in the event of an accident.

In la Grave, in the French Alps, the project

to construct a third section on the gondola

on the Girose glacier would conf irm the

effective commercialization of the glacier for