Responsible Tourism

The Mountain Company has always committed to adopting a responsible attitude to the areas we visit. Our Sustainable Tourism vision aims to ensure that The Mountain Company and its clients act in a way that is socially, environmentally and culturally sound.
We have always done what we think is the right thing. Over the year we have stepped up to help the local communities when help has been needed.
  • In February 2022, we published our Carbon Action Plan for 2022 for Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency.
  • In 2021, we set up a GoFundMe campaign to support our trek crews in Nepal who have had no work since Autumn 2019. We raised £8k from GoFundMe and a further £5k by direct donations.
  • In February 2021, we signed up to Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency. You can read more about our declaration in our News section. 
  • In April 2020, we launched a fundraising campaign for our trek crews in Nepal and Bhutan that lost work as a result of COVID 19. The total amount raised during 2020 came to £20k. This money has been distributed and will help the trek crews and their families survive the downturn. For more about this project, you can read the article in the Travel Trade Gazette.
  • 2019: Our AITO Project Protect was selling Buff scarves to raise money for our charitable/ guides hardship fund
  • 2018: Our AITO Project Protect was picking up rubbish from the trails of the Himalaya. We incorporated environmental protection into our standard operating procedures.
  • 2017: Our AITO Project Project was picking up rubbish from the trails of the Himalaya
  • In 2017 & 2018 we raised funds to sponsor a teacher at the school in Chalise village in Ruby Valley.
  • In 2016 we raised funds for rebuilding a school in Chalise village located in the Ruby Valley region of Nepal that had been destroyed by the 2015 earthquake.
  • In April 2015, Roland was living in Nepal at the time of the 7.8 Richter earthquake. We organised a Nepal Earthquake relief fund in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake raising US$15k from our clients and friends. In addition, we paid out hardship money to our guides and trek crew that lost work during the Spring season.
  • In October 2005 we supported Pakistan after the 8.5 Richter earthquake caused much damage to Kashmir region. We worked with Islamic Relief to transport clothes and tents out to Islamabad for distribution.

All areas of our operations are planned with responsible and sustainable tourism in mind and we require our business partners to support this vision. Porter welfare is a top priority, we follow the International Porter Protection five guidelines and have demonstrated our support by becoming one of their financial sponsors.

From the start in 2017, we have been involved with AITO’s Project PROTECT that was launched to encourage sustainable tourism and to nurture the destinations for tomorrow's travellers. This project is led by Professor Xavier Font of the University of Surrey and each AITO member has to publish an annual pledge and report back at the end of the year on how they got along.