The Mountain Environment and Communities

The mountains are under increasing environmental pressure. We continually scrutinise our in-country operations, in order to minimise our impact on the environments that we depend upon for our livelihood. We strongly believe that travelling to the mountain regions of the world can benefit the local communities that live within them. In Nepal, for example, porters who are employed in the trekking industry earn better wages and carry less heavy loads than they would commercial portering. We must ensure though that when they are with us, they are properly clothed and equipped. As a small company, the feedback we get from our leaders and team members can be acted on quickly to ensure that the standards that we expect are maintained. We try and push these standards forward each year, whilst recognising that we cannot fundamentally change the economic reality of countries like Nepal.

International Porter Protection Group

The International Porter Protection Group's (IPPG) aim is to improve health and safety for the trekking porter at work in the mountains and reduce the incidence of avoidable illness injury and death. This is done by raising awareness of the issue among trekking and travel companies, leaders, sirdars, and trekkers. In January 2007 Jagged Globe donated £600 to the IPPG:

"Dear Simon,
Thank you very much for your generous donation for the IPPG. We are very grateful for it. This money will be used for one of our projects (presently the new porter shelter in Gorak Shep, and the Khurpa Care, a new venture in Pakistan, which is about development and implementation of a mountain health and safety program for Balti porters). Another new project this year will be the Khare rescue post on the way to the Mera La, where many porters have got into trouble in recent years."

Visit the IPPG website for more information about the recently opened Machermo Porter Shelter and Rescue Post.

Khare Aid Post

Since 2007, Jagged Globe has part-funded a temporary aid post in the Hinku Valley on the approach to Mera Peak. This aid post is available each season to all porters working in the area. We are trying to raise Ł25,000 to build a permanent aid post. To help us with this endeavour, please send us a cheque payable to 'International Porter Protection Group'. Dr Nick Mason visited the aid post in November 2007 and wrote this short report.

Kilimanjaro porters

In 2008 and 2009 we provided 600 hats and fleeces to porters working on Kilimanjaro in Africa. We continue to see porters who are inadequately clothed working on the mountain. We are providing this clothing to porters, irrespective of who they work for.

Kathmandu Environmental Education Project

Jagged Globe is a lifetime member of The Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP). KEEP is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation. Its aims are twofold: to provide impartial and independent information to travellers and to ensure the future ecological and cultural prosperity of Nepal through positive impact tourism and outreach project work. Visit their KEEP website to find out more.

In the office

We now (2010) print less than half the brochures that we did a decade ago. All the brochures that we do print are printed on 100% recycled Cocoon Offset paper, made using FSC certified fibres. We also recycle all out-of-date brochures, waste paper, cardboard, glass and plastic in our office.

Surplus and donated outdoor clothing is regularly shipped and distributed to the families of staff who work for us in Nepal, through Kit Spencer's Sherpa fund.

We run a Bike to Work Scheme and offer Tax-free bikes for work through the Government's Cycle to Work initiative. All employees of Climb, Trek, Ski Ltd who commute by bicycle are eligible for the scheme.