📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Built in order to protect Albertville from attackers a long time ago, the “Fort du Mont” is today a remarkable building, which renovation requires a lot of work. The “Fort du Mont” is an old military fortress built in 1881. It is located 1100 meters above sea level in the mountains overlooking Albertville, a city known for having hosted the Olympic Games in 1992. Today, it has lost its military vocation but remains an important part of the local heritage and is being visited by many tourists, history amateurs and hikers. In order to give a second life to the building, certain parts have to be renovated. This is why the community counts on a dynamic local association and, for a couple of years, on the participation of volunteers during the international workcamps organised by Concordia. Come and join us in the adventure of the renovation of this remarkable building!
💼 What the programme involves
Continuing the restoration initiated in 2014, this fourth intervention will allow us to work on the parapet walk, in particular on its dry stone walls, some of which we will have to restore in order to ensure the stability of some shelters. We will also have to clean up the vegetation that has grown around. If time allows, we will probably perform some works inside the Fortress as well.
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will be accommodated under tents on the premises of the fort. Bring a sleeping bag. The kitchen, toilets, showers and common living space will be inside the fortress (several rooms available which can at the same time serve as a shelter in case of bad weather conditions). You will prepare meals in turns using the products bought nearby. We will favour the local products and the short supply circuits. Tastings of local specialties may also be organised with local producers (for example cheese from Savoy like Beaufort).
📍 About the location
The Fort is located in the heights above the town of Albertville, which is just twenty minutes away by car. Despite the isolation there are many paths leading to the city and its outskirts and the locals regularly come up to the fort, allowing numerous exchanges with the volunteers. Moreover, the fortress is visited by lots of tourists in the summer period, so meetings and interaction with locals gets even easier. The fort is located 150Km away from Lyon and 130km away from Geneva. The city of Annecy and its famous lake are accessible in less than 45 minutes, offering the possibility of visits, swimming and hiking. Thanks to the support of the community, many other activities will be proposed (hiking, swimming pool, access to Grignon Lake, guided visit to the middle age city of Conflans…).
ℹ️ Additional information
Remember to bring gloves as well as working clothes and shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. In the mountains, nights may be chilly. Remember to bring a warm sleeping bag and warm clothes. Do not forget sun protection as well (hat, sunglasses and sunscreen). The common living activities will be programmed together with your animators and according to your suggestions! If you would like to share a bit of your culture, (cooking recipes, traditional stories) do not hesitate to bring a piece of your country in your backpack!
Foreigners belonging to the European Union must bring with them a personal EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), and everybody must, in any case, bring their insurance certificate. If health issues happen on the project, volunteers will have to pay for it, and then be reimbursed once back in their home country.