Midis Group co-sponsor Maxime Chaya’s Grande Coulee Challenge on Mount Sannine

Event to celebrate the precious riches Lebanon has to offer

March 13, 2020

L’initiative Grande Coulée a réuni les forces armées, les sportifs et même les Scouts du Liban dans un événement stimulant. Crédit photo: George Wakim/Grande Coulee Challenge (copyright) — The Grande Coulee Challenge united armed forces, sports people and even the Scouts du Liban in an inspiring event. Photo credit: George Wakim/Grande Coulee Challenge (copyright)

Midis Group has long been a loyal sponsor of Maxime's challenges — Midis Group has long been a loyal sponsor of Maxime’s challenges

Midis Group has co-sponsored the first Grande Coulee Challenge which took place on Sunday, March 8, 2020, on Lebanon’s Mount Sannine, bathed in sunshine.

For this first edition, more than 200 winter sports enthusiasts from Lebanon and its armed forces, as well as eight other nations, took part in one of three tracks. These were a 1,000m ascent and descent back-country ski race; a snowshoe race; and a special snowshoe outing honoring women on International Women’s Day. All tracks took place in the shadow of the iconic Grande Coulée (a.k.a. Bahsa) in the majestic Sannine Mountain range.

Grande Coulee Challenge was all about the beauty of Lebanon, its people and the mountains. Photo credit: George Wakim/Grande Coulee Challenge (copyright)

For Maxime Chaya and his team of organizers, the event was a celebration of the precious riches Lebanon has to offer and to incite a love of the land in its population, especially the nation’s youth.

Support for Maxime’s project came from four like-minded Lebanese national groups and companies. LIFE (Lebanese International Finance Executives), Faqra Club, Association Philippe Jabre and Midis Group all backed Maxime and his project. According to Maxime, without their backing, the event simply wouldn’t have taken place.

The event included a special snowshoe outing honoring women on International Women’s Day. Photo credit: George Wakim/Grande Coulee Challenge (copyright)

Alongside the co-sponsors, generous help came from the Scouts du Liban, the Baskinta municipality and the ever-present Lebanese Red Cross. Local tour operator Nader Tebcharani guided the International Women’s Day Snowshoe Outing in awkward conditions while Association Stop Plastique aimed to raise awareness about the dangers of single-use plastic.

The day’s events were a resounding success and everyone involved, including the participants, is already looking forward to the next edition, scheduled for Sunday, February 28, 2021.

Maxime Chaya thanked Midis Group for its continuing support with this trophy. Photo credit - Maxime Chaya — Maxime Chaya thanked Midis Group for its continuing support with this trophy. Photo credit – Maxime Chaya

GCC 2020 results: Adib Abou Haidar from nearby Baskinta took the 2020 Men’s ski race by storm, and so did Diala Kassem from Beirut for the women’s ski category. The snowshoe race was won by Daoud Moustapha who clocked a record time for his two laps, while for the women, it was Sarah Ekmekjian who finished her lap first. They both ran a perfect race in what turned out to be somewhat tricky snow conditions later in the day.