Respect the Mountains

The Alps are having a hard time!

Respect the Mountains is a young organization, whose values we support, trying to preserve the Alps for their current and future inhabitants and visitors. On a yearly base, an average of 100 million people visit the Alps with visible consequences. The main goal is to make people aware of the uniqueness and importance of this area, so that next generations will be able to enjoy the mountains as much as we do.

Please Respect Our Mountains....7 Simple Ways...

1. Keep Clean: Animals don’t eat plastic, take your rubbish back home or throw it in the rubbish bin. Due to the altitudes and the temperatures, rubbish biodegrades slowly and does not belong in the mountains. Do you prefer looking at a virgin white slope or left behind banana skins? To give you an example; an estimate of over 30.000 cigarette ends are dropped under ski lifts. Respect the Mountains!

2. Respect Nature: Off-Piste: If you are desperate to go off-piste, book a guide. He can show you the best places of the area without destroying young shoots. Realize that you’re not only endangering trees and wild animals; also an avalanche might be caused by your behavior. Accidents caused by off-piste skiing are not covered by your insurance.

Have a Break: After a day of skiing, you need a break. So do the mountains! Maybe spend a day snowshoeing, cross country skiing or snow biking. The mountains have so much more to offer than only skiing her slopes!

No to Heliskiing: It may be tempting to jump out of a helicopter or cross up and down with a snow scooter. But if you want to respect the mountains, the answer is no.

3. Do Not Waste: Save energy home and away. Re-cycle household waste; Samoens offers different re-cycling bins for glass, paper and plastic. Re-use your towels; hang up your towel, so the cleaning doesn’t change your towels. Switch off electrical appliances when not in use, such as your mobile charger, mobile phone and lights. It seems (and is!) a small thing to do, and the result is huge!

4.Stay Green: Visit those that make use of solar energy, hydro-electricity or put other efforts in a cleaner resort. Samoens has good and free public transport - all the ski busses are free. Go Local: Buying local bio products supports the local economy. It also prevents transport pollution.

5. Book Smart: Off-Season: Try to go to the mountains in the off-season when the crowds are gone, and you can enjoy the mountains all to yourself. Also the environmental impact is less.

6.Travel Wise: Travel by train or bus. If you travel by car, do not use it in the resort. Take the ski bus to the ski lift if you can. Think of compensating your trip via organizations such as Green Seats.

7. Spread the Word: Make your family and friends aware of their impact on the mountains. Tell them they can minimize their impact by complying with these seven principles.