Shortly after the confirmation of the 2019 UIAA Mountain Protection Award winner – Swiss Alpine Club’s AlpineLearning (AlpenLernen) Project Weeks – an exciting announcement was made regarding the future of the project.
The 2020 and 2021 UIAA MPAs will be partnered by Bally, the Swiss luxury fashion brand, founded in 1851, with a pioneering heritage in climbing and mountaineering.
When Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made history as the first climbers to set foot on the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, the latter was wearing a pair of Bally boots. Inspired by its heritage, the company’s recent Peak Outlook initiative marked a long-term commitment to preserving the world’s most extreme mountain environments. Peak Outlook began in Spring 2019 with the sponsorship of a critical clean-up expedition to the summit of the world’s highest peak. Led by Dawa Steven Sherpa and his team of experienced climbers and guides, all of whom are native to Nepal’s high Himalayas, the expedition successfully removed two tonnes of waste, helping to restore the pristine landscape between Everest Base Camp and its iconic peak.
During the 2019 UIAA General Assembly Award Ceremony, Bally presented a short film that showcased the Peak Outlook clean-up mission on Everest. The project shares many of the values and the vision of two recent MPA winners – Mount Everest Biogas Project in 2017 and Community Action Nepal in 2018.
Bally’s involvement with the UIAA and sponsorship of the Mountain Protection Award will ensure extra resources are available for future editions and further strengthen the efforts of the winning initiative.
Bally CEO, Nicolas Girotto
“Bally’s partnership with the UIAA is an important milestone in our long-term commitment to mountain preservation worldwide. Mountains play a special role in Bally’s heritage, and through the launch of our Peak Outlook initiative, we aim to leverage this connection to bring awareness to the impact of outdoor tourism on mountain environments around the world. I am proud to partner with the UIAA through the sponsorship of the Mountain Protection Award to continue our efforts together in supporting the climbing community.”
UIAA Protection Commission President, Dr Carolina Adler
“Next year marks the eighth annual running of the UIAA Mountain Protection Award. Year on year, thanks to the efforts of the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission and Award Assessment Team and the continued development and appeal of the platform, the quality of the candidates has grown immeasurably. Many of the showcased projects are organised in partnership with our member associations and all have a vision to make a lasting impact, to engage climbers and mountaineers directly in their initiatives and to offer solutions and ideas which can be adapted worldwide. We are delighted to partner with Bally to ensure the continued innovation and evolution of one of the UIAA’s core projects.”
Video: Bally Peak Outlook project
Find out more by visiting Bally’s website and Peak Outlook page:
www.bally.com
www.bally.com/peakoutlook
Discover more about the 2019 UIAA Mountain Protection Award here:
https://www.theuiaa.org/mountain-protection-award/2019-uiaa-mountain-protection-award/
Main Image: 1953 Everest Expedition. Copyright Bally
