Today, 11 December 2014, is the UN World Tourism Organisation’s International Mountain Day. Join us and raise your glasses!
They are the world’s undisputed water towers, providing 70% of the planet’s fresh water. Mountains feed rivers, pastoral lands, towns and cities; they are at the frontline of our environmental fragility. The people of the Cordilleras know this reality better than any of us. They continue to experience the dramatic local consequences of a global phenomenon: climate change.
Tomorrow marks the closing of the UN COP20 Climate Conference in Lima, and again we’ll see if the powers-that-be can come any closer to finding a global solution to this global problem. Only time will tell if this has any chance of success, but the record is far from positive. At Project Cordillera we are attempting something different. Certainly less grandiose, our ambition is to work backwards from the problems we face as individuals and communities – in the hope of finding solutions that have a positive global impact through our collective actions and the evolution of our behaviour.
We believe that celebrating the wonderful Andes Mountains and the communities that inhabit them, and by bringing adventure-seekers closer to local people and their cultures, we will all learn how to live and explore in more sustainable and enjoyable ways.
All our adventures help fund the brilliant Guias Locales (local guides) Programme, a ten-week outdoor education course for teenagers in the remote Cordillera Blanca of Peru. The course provides comprehensive education in a number of key areas including conservation and understanding a changing environment, as well as map-making (seen here), rock climbing and much more. It builds important life skills for those involved, helping to develop confidence, leadership, teamwork and much more.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be publishing a series of photo exhibitions showcasing the 2014 Guias Locales programme and what last summer’s adventures achieved. We’ll also be updating the project from its pilot phase, renewing our brand, publishing our new website and offering a range of new adventures. These are exciting times, so watch this space and join us in Peru 2015.
Project Cordillera has adopted a number of social responsibility agreements including the UN World Tourism Organisation’s Global Code of Ethics in Tourism, the Travel Foundation’s Forum Commitment and the International Porters Protection Group’s Ethics Guidelines.
Visit the Project Cordillera Purpose page to find out more about the Guias Locales Programme and how your adventure directly impacts local communities in the Andes of Peru.
Team Project Cordillera, Thursday 11 December 2014
