A pastor-chaplain from Mariupol with six sons has conquered Mont Blanc

AA pastor, chaplain, founder of the rehabilitation centre for street children "Respublika Pilihrym" (Mariupol) Hennadii Mokhnenko has climbed with his children to Mont Blanc. Together with the Mariupol, family, there were five accompanying persons and a film crew. "Dzerkalo Tyzhnia", the Ukrainian newspaper, reports about it.

The adoptive father of 33 orphans and the father of three natural children Hennadii Mokhnenko together with his children have conquered Mont Blanc. Despite the difficult weather conditions — "crazy wind, hellish cold, huge abysses on both sides of the ice path width of 50 centimeters", the pastor and his six sons have climbed the highest mountain in Western Europe, thus completing the journey around the world as a part of the charity tour "The World without Orphans!" Hennadii Mokhnenko, who has recently become a hero of the film "Mariupol. Ukrainian Outpost", has said about it on his page on Facebook.

"We're alive (but, to be honest almost alive)... Enormous tiredness... We've just descended from the conquered top of Europe — Mont Blanc, 4 810 m high. Details will be told later, there are a lot of them and they are unique. When I collect myself, I'll post notes...

Flag of the project "Ukraine — The World without Orphans!", which was with us in a bike tour around the globe, has been raised to the sixth top of the world-class..."— wrote Hennadii Mokhnenko, publishing dozens of photos depicting the triumph of the climbers from Mariupol.

The length of the ascent was 4 810 m, including 1 km of a sheer cliff. Together with the Mariupol family, there were five accompanying persons and a film crew.

The expedition left Mariupol on July 25, and for the boys, who were taken by their adoptive father, it was the first journey around Europe. On their way, they stopped at fellow believers' place, and the expedition was almost undone:

"Do you know what ruined Macedonian army? Comfort! Our expedition was in jeopardy... The hospitality of our friends on the way to the Alps was enormous. European comfort had a negative impact on the team's spirit. So he immediately led everyone to the mountains! I led them to cold rivers, ice showers, to stones and rocks, to winds and the scorching sun", — with irony, the pastor noted in his travel notes.

For Hennadii Mokhnenko and his adopted children, this is the sixth mountain peak.

"With the call to adopt children, we have implemented many radical projects. Under our belts, there are conquered summits of mount Elbrus - 5642 m, mount Freshfield - 4 000 m, mount Ararat - 5 137 m. For the sake of orphans, so that families adopt them, we made an around-the-world trip on bicycles, having driven 27 000 km.

The expedition "The World without Orphans — Mont Blanc 2019!"— another call not to be afraid and get orphans out of orphanages! Thanks to everyone who is with us in this dream..."— Hennadii Mokhnenko wrote on his page.