Policy Aims:
Our
mission statement is simply: “Nature is the adventure”. Through it we
have tailored all our trips in such a way that they do not harm or
effect the nature. We always inform all our clients of how to take part
and pass through nature without leaving a mark.
Our four guidelines are:
Take nothing but pictures.
Kill nothing but time.
Leave nothing but footprints.
Make nothing but memories.
Environmental Responsibility:
When
we need transport between places or transfer of luggage or supplies we
offset the carbon emission through the Icelandic Carbon fund
(www.kolvidur.is).
We also take part in the Icelandic Nature
Conservation organization (www.natturuverndarsamtok.is ) and through
them take an active part in supervision over constructions in the
highlands of Iceland. The organization is puplic forum that issues
statements and gives their opinion on all matters concerning
construction in the Icelandic nature.
We recycle as much of
our waste as possible. Both at our office, at our basecamps, in our
restaurant and on tours we take all waste with us and dispose of it
after the trip.
On our treks through the magnificent Icelandic nature we place a heavy emphasis on our leave no trace policy:
. Kill nothing but time.
. Take nothing but photographs.
. Leave nothing but footprints.
. Make nothing but memories.
At
the start of every trip we will provide participants with information
on how best to pass through without leaving their mark, so future
generations can visit these special places in their natural state. Each
trip has a different approach, f.ex. a cave trip and raft trip have
different foucs points.
We run our own guide school here in
Iceland. There we train all our own guides. Environmental matters are
kind of imprinted in all Icelanders. We are the only nation that
depends solely on renewable energies for heating our houses and
creating electricity (no fossil fuels except for cars). The
conservation of electricity here in Iceland is therefore not the same
big issue as elsewhere in Europe. We also have an abundant supply of
water since we have very much rain- and snowfall. In addition to that
the Icelandic nature is so unspoiled that all running water in Iceland
is fit for drinking, right out of the rivers and streams. Hence,
bottled water is not an environmental concern, it is not used on any of
our trips.
Social Responsibility:
We
try to take part in every fund raiser for children in Asia and support
at least one child every year to find education and food. We also give
all the lost and found items to the Red Cross. We give all hot drinks
away at our restaurant and instead ask people to donate some change to
the Red Cross. In the same manner we ask people that use our free
internet service at our store to donate to the same cause.
Economic Responsibility:
Iceland is not a country where
economic responsibility is a big factor, since the nation is at the
moment one of the richest one in the world. We do however try our best
to use Icelandic ingredients e.g. we only use Icelandic lamb meat /
salmon and vegetables.
We only use local guides, Icelanders that are passionate about their environment and its conservation.
Every
single trip we operate is genially Icelandic, packed lunches are made
with Icelandic ingredients such as cabin smoked lamb from Húsavík
and dried fish from Vestfirðir. If we dine in restaurants we eat f.ex.
at Rauða Húsið or Hafið Bláa, that are Icelandic seafood restaurants in
the small towns of Eyrarbakki and Stokkseyri on the North Atlantic
coast. All our services are performed in the countryside or highlands
and we are fiercely local, using only hostels, guesthouses or hotels
where we have a personal relationship with its owners and staff. These
include f.ex. Frost and Fire guesthouse in Hveragerði and under
Vatnajökull glacier, Hótel Hekla and Hótel Gullfoss.