2010 Pandathlon in Provence

The WWF France and the Pandathlon

The renowned WWF France organization launches in this year dedicated to the biodiversity its first Pandathlon.

The WWF, known around the world, fights from now many years for the preservation of the planet. It is the first world organization of environmental protection with its 4,7 million members, its more than 5 million donors and its 12 000 programs of nature preservation.

Such an organization owed be present in this year of the biodiversity, it is in this context that the idea of the Pandathlon was born.

The Pandathlon is above all a sports event but it is not that it. The WWF wanted an exemplary eco-conceived sports event, which is also a fundraising event for the benefit of the programs of preservation of the organization.

The Pandathlon it is sport, solidarity and eco-responsibility in a mythical natural place of Provence : the Mont Ventoux.

The Mont Ventoux and the Pandathlon

The WWF chose Provence to welcome its first Pandathlon, and which place would have better agreed than the mythical Mont Ventoux, the giant of Provence, a whole symbol.

The Mont Ventoux has already seen on the sides many sportsmen dashing challenges. It is a legend in the environment of races thanks to the Tour de France, and many sporting amateurs come every year to try the famous ascent. The slopes of the Giant are an ideal place to launch a sports challenge, the WWF did not make a mistake there.

The purpose of this Pandathlon being also the fundraising event for the environmental protection, even there the choice of the Mont Ventoux to welcome this sports challenge for the planet appears as ideal.

The Mont Ventoux shelters completely exceptional fauna and flora, thanks to which it was declared nature reserve of biosphere by the UNESCO and a member of the network Natura 2000.

The interest of this Giant is also to be situated on two ecoregions, alpine and Mediterranean, which were both indicated as priority by the WWF for the wealth of their biodiversity (abundance) and the threats which weigh on it.

The donations collected during the Pandathlon will allow to finance programs of preservation of the biodiversity and the implementation of a sustainable tourism in this so precious reserve of biosphere.

The 1st Pandathlon in Provence

Such an event allying sport, solidarity and eco-responsibility is the first one. The organization of Pandathlon asked for an important work upstream to stick at best on the ideology wanted by WWF.

Provence has always been a land of welcome with beautiful varied natural landscapes, it was not still evident to reconcile tourism and preservation of these natural spaces. The Pandathlon promises to be a beautiful example of this association.

The WWF wanted that Pandathlon to be organized in a completely eco-responsible way, the purpose being to relieve as much as possible the ecological impression of such an event and 600 participants waited on the slopes of the Mont Ventoux.

This constant concern to master its ecological impression meets in all the stages of the organization of this big challenge.

The Pandathlon

Eco-responsability !

The course of 21 kms was validated by the scientific committee of the reserve of Biosphere, it was drawn so that the passage of the participants does not come to disrupt the ecosystems.

As for the transport, the participants will take the train and upon their arrival a free bus will be at their disposal to bring them up to the place of the challenge.

As regards scraps, all the refreshment points will be equipped with tubs of sorting, the distributed food will be fresh, not packaged (as possible) and proposed unpacked. The crockery supplied during this Pandathlon will be reusable and biodegradable, the cleaning products will be environment-friendly.

For the water, it will result from tanks to banish the plastic bottles and toilet will not use water but any sawdust thanks to the system of dry toilet.

Solidarity !

To participate in this event, you just have at first to gather around you a team of 4 persons and to register on the site of Pandathlon.

Once your registration made you and your team have to make play the solidarity around this big cause that is the protection of the planet. Your team has now to collect in its circle of acquaintances a 1 600 € minimum which will be used for the benefit of the programs of WWF France.

Sport !

Then you and your team have to leave to the assault of the Mont Ventoux the week-end of May 22nd and 23rd, 2010. It is a course of 21 km that waits for you, a real sports challenge in an environment of exception. Once arrived it is a magic show which waits for your team, Provence !

You will discover the valley of the Rhône, the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps of the South, the Cevennes, the Provençal Drôme and the Vercors… magic...