Manikia Project — A Local Project Supported by Petzl
April 1 2022
Rock climbing
For this year's Petzl RocTrip, we decided to team up with Manikia Project, a local Greek organization. When climbing was first discovered in Manikia, French route developers began putting up new routes in the area. Through interactions with climbers, the locals saw how the region could be revitalized with sustainable and outdoor-oriented tourism.
Teaming Up With a Local Organization
Petzl is joining forces with the Manikia Project, a Greek organization with a goal to develop the local climbing areas as an avenue for new business and sustainable tourism in the region. Like many small towns and villages around the world, Manikia has seen many young people leave in search of financial opportunities in bigger cities. Working alongside the community, the goal of the Manikia Project is to revitalize the local economy and give Manikia, the surrounding villages, and their inhabitants the opportunity to flourish once again.
Sustainable Tourism — With Locals, For Locals
With towering limestone cliff bands right outside town and routes with a wide range of difficulty, the region has the potential to be a rock climbing dream destination. French route developers that visited the region quickly understood its potential and the first climbs were established in 2018. Gradually, climbers and locals got to know each other, became friends, and decided to create Manikia Project. Together, they have developed the majority of climbs in the area.
The idea to revitalize the region was born — create an opportunity for sustainable tourism by developing routes that attract climbers. Creating a new, world-famous climbing destination is not the goal; instead, it is to improve access to outdoor recreation in Manikia that will in turn provide long-term economic opportunities for locals who can provide lodging, restaurants, shops, and other activities or services. Additionally, with a sport like climbing, it’s important to be able to call for help when something goes wrong. With the help of the Petzl Foundation and Claude Idoux, who is an industry leader in route development and training rescue teams, the organization assembled and trained a response team, providing them with all the necessary equipment to carry out rescue operations.
A Socially Responsible Petzl RocTrip
Partnering with Manikia Project means that we're also committed to upholding their values and organizing a socially responsible Petzl RocTrip. In order to do this, we're limiting the number of in-person participants, keeping long-distance travel to a minimum, and actively collaborating with the community to plan and organize the event. A fundraiser is also being organized via the Petzl RocTrip online portal, to help finance the organization's current and future projects.