Valais teenagers complete three-week wilderness expedition in Greenland

Twenty-one teenagers from Valais spent three weeks living almost entirely independently in a remote fjord in southern Greenland, SRF reports. The group was based a four-hour boat trip from the nearest settlement and had no infrastructure nearby.

The participants, aged 15 to 20, belong to Elévation, a mountaineering group at the Lycée Collège des Creusets school in Sion. They were accompanied by three Youth and Sport leaders, a doctor and three mountain guides.

At the base camp, the teenagers organised much of their daily routine themselves. They were responsible for managing about 900 kilograms of food, while also fishing, baking their own bread and helping run the camp.

They also organised night watches because polar bears could be present in the region.

For the participants, the expedition was about more than adventure. Julien Pralong, 19, described the mountains as a place for community and exchanging ideas. Alice Carruzo, 17, said she valued the calm and simplicity of the experience, which allowed her to enjoy the moment and focus on herself.

Two students, Baptiste Clerc and Florian Carron, filmed the expedition. They are using the footage for their school graduation project on overcoming personal limits.

The trip left a lasting impression on the teenagers and strengthened values including courage, humility and solidarity.