Mountain Wilderness
In defence of mountains, the world over
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      • Jordi QUERA – President
      • Gotlind BLECHSCHMIDT – Vice President
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Presidency Team

MemberCountryPhoto
Jordi QUERA - PresidentCatalonia
Gotlind BLECHSCHMIDT - Vice PresidentGermany
Gabriella Suzanne VANZAN - Vice President Italy
Gilles PRIVAT - Vice President France
Karin LANKES - Secretary General Germany
Susanna GONELLA - Treasurer Italy

Want to see mountain nature better protected? Join us!

“Mountain wilderness” refers to any pristine, untouched mountain environment, where anyone can experience vast open spaces, silence, solitude, nature. “The value of wilderness therefore lies above all in its potential to stimulate a creative relationship between civilised man and the natural environment. It is the degree of authenticity of this relationship that gives a non-ephemeral meaning to adventure.”

This definition dates back to 1987, when the Biella theses, our manifesto, were written. They marked the birth of Mountain Wilderness.

Mountain Wilderness International (MWI) is the umbrella organisation of the national chapters of Mountain Wilderness. It facilitates communication and exchange among national chapters, coordinates and organises international projects and actions and officially represents the organisation in its relations with governments, authorities, international institutions and non-governmental organisations.

If you share our ideas and you wish to help us, please join a national chapter. Mountain Wilderness has chapters in a dozen countries.

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Mountain Wilderness International

1 month ago

Mountain Wilderness International
Say No to heliskiing❗️ 🚁⛷🏂Switzerland and Italy are the two main countries where heli-skiing is legal. Every year 15,000 people fly into the Swiss Alps for heli-skiing. Mountain Wilderness is calling for the restriction of recreational flying in the mountains - first and foremost in protected areas where untouched nature should prevail. Pictures show a recent action organised by Mountain Wilderness Schweiz, where a group of 15 activists set out with skis and skins to reach the most frequented mountain landing site (Petergrat BE/VS, 3'131 m.a.s.l.). ... See MoreSee Less
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Mountain Wilderness International

1 month ago

Mountain Wilderness International
Stretching for 2.58 million square kilometers, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau covers not only the Tibet autonomous region and Qinghai province, but also parts of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces. The plateau is the origin of some of the longest rivers in the world, including the Yangtze and the Yellow riversPlans have been drawn up to improve the protection of snowcapped mountains, glaciers and frozen soil on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and access to key snow-capped mountains and glaciers will be banned.#MountainsMatter #glaciers #climatecrisis #Qinghai #Tibet #China ... See MoreSee Less

Plateau's ice assets ring-fenced to ensure improved protection

www.chinadaily.com.cn

Plans have been drawn up to improve the protection of snowcapped mountains, glaciers and frozen soil on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, according to a draft law on ecological conservation in the region.
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Mountain Wilderness International

1 month ago

Mountain Wilderness International
For this Earth Day, let us remind ourselves that we need "a shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet" (UN).Mountains, covering 1/3 of the world's land surface, play a crucial role in this regard, for both the highlands and lowlands #mountains #MountainsMatter #EarthDay #earthday2023 #everydayisearthday ... See MoreSee Less

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Mountain Wilderness International

1 month ago

Mountain Wilderness International
Copernicus ECMWF has just released the 2022 European State of the Climate report: "Alpine glaciers saw record ice loss, due to lack of winter snow and the unusually warm summer. While glacier mass loss has been significant globally, the European Alps is one of the regions where glaciers are shrinking the most."#mountainsmatter #Alps #glaciers #climateemergency Summary video: climate.copernicus.eu/sites/default/files/2023-04/ESOTC2022_summary.mp4 ... See MoreSee Less

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Mountain Wilderness International

2 months ago

Mountain Wilderness International
Worldwide, climate change is causing glaciers to retreat. But African glaciers, which all lie within a day’s drive of the equator, are melting faster than the global average. Since 1906, more than 80 percent of the Rwenzoris’ ice has melted, and UNESCO recently reported that a third of the 50 World Heritage sites that contain glaciers, including the Rwenzoris, will disappear by 2050 no matter what actions are taken to slow global warming.#mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #glaciers #climatechange #UNESCO #Uganda #DRCongo #rwenzoris ... See MoreSee Less

For Uganda’s Vanishing Glaciers, Time Is Running Out

e360.yale.edu

A trek through tropical forest, mud fields, and scree reveals the last remnants of the once-sprawling ice fields in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains. Their loss has profound implications for local commun...
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Retweet on Twitter Mountain Wilderness International Retweeted
fao Food and Agriculture Organization @fao ·
4 Feb

Our #MountainsMatter!

They may only cover 27% of the Earth's land surface, but mountains provide freshwater, energy & food - resources that will be increasingly scarce in coming decades.

Learn more👉 https://bit.ly/3Fz6z7y

Reply on Twitter 1621980665372884995 Retweet on Twitter 1621980665372884995 47 Like on Twitter 1621980665372884995 128 Twitter 1621980665372884995
mwildernessint Mountain Wilderness International @mwildernessint ·
6 Feb

In #Kiruna, part of Sapmi and home to #Sweden's highest mountain #Kebnekaise, the industrialisation of a once pristine environment is having a devastating impact on indigenous reindeer-herding #Sami people and their thousand year-old traditions #mining https://euobserver.com/nordics/156623

Reply on Twitter 1622707314695307266 Retweet on Twitter 1622707314695307266 Like on Twitter 1622707314695307266 4 Twitter 1622707314695307266
mwildernessint Mountain Wilderness International @mwildernessint ·
3 Feb

The Swat Project is approaching its end. Will you join our hiking and roped parties in Pakistan this year? Read more 🔗 @UNmountains #ISMEO #CAAI #mountainsmatter 🏔️🧗‍♂️💪
https://www.mountainwilderness.org/2023/02/02/our-swat-project-is-approaching-its-end-will-you-join-us-this-year/

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mwildernessint Mountain Wilderness International @mwildernessint ·
31 Jan

Ski resorts can now make #fakesnow in 80 degrees (= 25°C). “The irony of trying to fight temperatures by using a lot more energy to make snow is pretty much using the cause [of #climatechange] to find a solution.” #artificialsnow
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/01/28/snow-machines-ski-resorts-climate-change/ via @washingtonpost

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mwildernessint Mountain Wilderness International @mwildernessint ·
28 Jan

Restoring mountain ecosystems, the theme of #IMD2023, was selected to fully include #mountains in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030, co-led by @FAO and @UNEP. The aim is to significantly scale-up restoration & prevent further degradation of mountain #ecosystems 🏔️

Mountain Partnership @UNmountains

Restoring mountain ecosystems is the theme of International Mountain Day 2023 on 11 December! 🏔️ #MountainsMatter #GenerationRestoration

➡️ https://www.fao.org/mountain-partnership/news/news-detail/en/c/1629228/

📸: ©Nima Farid Mojtahedi

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Explorations done so far within the framework of t Explorations done so far within the framework of the Swat Project are simply not enough. Volunteers are needed to carry out further exploration and mapping, as well as taking pictures of unexplored areas. In addition to hikers, parties of mountaineers are needed to identify access routes to the main peaks and to describe the ascent routes. We think that publishing a guidebook can be an important step in convincing Pakistani authorities of the importance of designating a national park. If you are a hiking and mountaineering enthusiast, you can join us in exploring Swat’s last, still partly unknown hiking and mountaineering routes. Some of the routes may require the crossing of glaciers and snow passes, implying the use of crampons, ice axe and rope. For more info, follow link in bio! #SwatProjec#SwatValley #Pakistan#MountainWilderness #wilderness #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #mountaineering #hiking #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #guidebook #nationalpark #wildlife
Ever since the Olympics were awarded by the IOC to Ever since the Olympics were awarded by the IOC to Milan and Cortina, Mountain Wilderness has always maintained that all promises of sustainability would be betrayed, that the costs to the community would be far from those budgeted, that all procedures put in place to guarantee environmental protection (SEA) would be carefully circumvented. Article link in bio! 📷 #VytautasDranginis #Unsplash #milancortina2026 #olympics #olympics2026 #milanocortina2026 #olympicgames #sustainability #betrayal #environmentalprotection #natura2000 #alps #mountainlovers #mountainsmatter #leavenotrace #environment
We stand in solidarity with the victims of the dev We stand in solidarity with the victims of the devastating earthquake in South East Turkey and Northern Syria 📷 #NASA #TurkeySyriaEarthquake
The Swat Project comes to an end this year. The la The Swat Project comes to an end this year. The last expeditions will take place in August/September. We are once again inviting all hiking and mountaineering enthusiasts to participate in the exploration of hiking and mountaineering routes that will be included in our guidebook with a strong focus on environmental protection. 💚 This guidebook is meant to spur the Pakistani government to initiate the creation of a National Park. The project is being implemented in collaboration with ISMEO, International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies, and CAAI, Italian Academic Alpine Club, under the aegis of @unmountainsmatter For more information, link in bio 🔗 #mountainsmatter #SwatProject #guidebook #nationalpark #Pakistan #cleanclimbing #ecotourism #donoharm #leavenotrace #mountainlovers
"Women move mountains” was the theme of this yea "Women move mountains” was the theme of this year’s International Mountain Day (IMD) on 11 December. “Women play a key role in environmental protection and social and economic development in mountain areas. They are often the primary managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity, keepers of traditional knowledge, custodians of local culture and experts in traditional medicine” explains FAO. A perfect fit for our “Girls in Action!” course we held this year in Pakistani Swat, 10 years after the assassination attempt on Malala Yousafzai. The course was part of The Swat Project, whose ultimate goal is to create a National Park in an area of great natural beauty, known as the ‘Switzerland of Pakistan’. There were several initiatives either organised or co-organised by MW at national and international level or in which national chapters participated. Link in bio #mountainsmatter #WomenMoveMountains #IMD2022 #InternationalMountainDay #TheSwatProject #mountainwilderness #mountainlovers #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #donoharm
May the festive season bring us peace, love, healt May the festive season bring us peace, love, health, rest and the strength to continue fighting with renewed vigour for our beloved mountains in the New Year! ✨ #MerryChristmas #SeasonsGreetings #happyholidays #mountainwilderness #mountainsmatter #sustainability #donoharm #leavenotrace #mountainlovers #mountains #biodiversity #environment #climatecrisis
'Women play a key role in mountains' environmental 'Women play a key role in mountains' environmental protection and social and economic development' #UN We are so proud to have contributed by empowering a group of Pakistani women with our "Girls In Action!" course held this year in Swat, because #WomenMoveMountains! Happy International Mountain Day! #IMD2022 #MountainsMatter #empowerment #GirlsInAction #Swat #Pakistan #ecofriendly #mountaineering #wildlife #climbing #HKH #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #donoharm #nationalpark #mountainlovers
Grand Bornand, 930 m asl, will host the Biathlon W Grand Bornand, 930 m asl, will host the Biathlon World Cup from 15 to 18 December. There being no snow, which is quite normal at that elevation, piles of artificial snow were produced and preserved. But then the "white gold" had to be transported. A local resident said: "in a quarter of an hour, 17 truckloads of snow came up to the ski resort". That's 68 trucks per hour! In times of climate and energy crisis, just think of the consumption caused by an event like this, in terms of water and energy to make the snow, not to mention the carbon footprint of the trucks! Gold medal 🥇 for water and energy consumption to make the snow ❄️ as well as for the trucks' carbon footprint! 🚚🚚🚚 #snowfarming #climatecrisis #energycrisis #biathlon #MountainsMatter #Alps #leavenotrace #donoharm #carbonfootprint
📢 December 11 is International Mountain Day! 🗻 The year 2022 also marks the 20th anniversary from the first International Year ever devoted to mountains! Once again we have joined forces with @teatrodelburattomilano to organise a short story (in 🇮🇹) and photo contest within the framework of the Reading Mountains Festival on the themes "women move mountains", "sustainable mountain development" and "into the wild". Prizes will be awarded on #IMD2022 🔗 bit.ly/3fW51Ld (Italian only) #MountainsMatter #mountainwilderness #mountainlovers #wilderness #sustainablemountaindevelopment #womenmovemountains #intothewild #cleanclimbing #donoharm #leavenotrace
From the Austrian Pitztal-Ötztal megaproject, “ From the Austrian Pitztal-Ötztal megaproject, “Europe’s largest contiguous glacier ski resort”, to the greenwashing-sounding “Connecting Nature, Sharing Beauty” project in Italy's Aosta Valley and the cancellation of all downhill races in Zermatt-Cervinia as “senseless event and against all environmental logic”. When "Nature must be respected and accepted". #Alps #mountainsmatter #sustainablemountaintourism #skiindustry #megaproject #skiresort #cableway #Pitztal #Ötztal #CimeBianche #mountainlovers #wildlife #greenwashing #climatechange #glaciers #donoharm #leavenotrace 📷 Mountain Wilderness Germany Link in bio
Twenty young women aged between 15 and 25 took par Twenty young women aged between 15 and 25 took part in the basic course in eco-friendly mountaineering "Girls in Action!" This is one of the many courses Mountain Wilderness has held over time to train locals as guides and give them a livelihood, while protecting the environment, preserving mountains and respecting local culture and traditions. To read more, follow link in bio Many thanks to our partners ISMEO (The International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies), CAAI (Italian Academic Alpine Club), to @scarpaspa for donating 30 pairs of boots as well as to @unmountainsmatter and @banca_sella for their financial support! #empowerment #GirlsInAction #Swat #Pakistan #ecofriendly #mountaineering #wildlife #mountainsmatter #climbing #HKH #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #donoharm #nationalpark #mountainlovers
Our teams of the Swat Project 2022 are in Swat, Pa Our teams of the Swat Project 2022 are in Swat, Pakistan, right now. Some are blocked in the mountains, due to heavy rainfall and flooding, but safe. The "Girls in Action" course for eco-friendly women trekking guides was completed despite the weather this week, although rain forced trainers to cancel yesterday's field trek. Diplomas will be handed out to the trainees who completed the course tomorrow. We express our deepest sympathy to the people affected by the flash flood emergency and mourn the many dead caused by heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan. #Pakistan #Swat #mountainsmatter #mountainwilderness #mountainlovers #sustainability #livelihood #wildlife #cleanclimbing #donoharm #leavenotrace
In recent decades, via ferratas and equipped mount In recent decades, via ferratas and equipped mountain routes have conquered all the Alps, which count more than 1000 of them: ‘French-style’ ferratas are mainly built for recreational purposes, generously equipped with cables, foot and handholds etc. and, whenever possible, a suspension bridge for extreme fun. Very often, via ferratas lead to diffuse anthropisation impacts, and sometimes even dangerous overcrowding, in particularly vulnerable areas for both fauna and flora, without even measuring the environmental impact they can have before they are built. More on @mountain_wilderness_italia campaign on via ferratas in bio #viaferrata #trail #mountainwilderness #MountainsMatter #wildlife #overcrowding #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #donoharm
Safe trip and good work! 🙏💪🏔️⛰️🧗‍♀️ 🌲🌳 #swatproject22 #girlsinaction #trekking #mountaineering #Pakistan #HKH #nationalpark #cleanclimbing #leavenotrace #donoharm #mountainwilderness #wildlife #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers Reposted from @mountain_wilderness_catalunya Sortint de BCN cap a l’Hindu Kush pakistanès per participar del #swatproject22 de @mountain_wilderness_intl…
Italian Nature Film Festival #25GPFF calls for gov Italian Nature Film Festival #25GPFF calls for governments and citizens to sign environmental sustainability and nature conservation charter to commit to a more sustainable world and then organises helicopter 🚁 ride in nature reserve - where tourist flights are banned - to Gran Paradiso 🏔 summit for a distinguished roped party to fake ascent to advertise it. Now, was there any need to drop this roped party 🧗‍♂️ along with H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco by helicopter on the shoulder of Gran Paradiso known as 'back of the donkey' just to take a few pics for the press 📷 and make headlines in the name of "sustainability"? Link in bio #granparadiso #gpff #granparadisofilmfestival #ValledAosta #Italy #Alps #granparadisonationalpark #sustainability #climatecrisis #glaciercrisis #whateverittakes #donoharm #cleanclimbing #helicopter #mountainsmatter #mountainwilderness #wildlife #naturereserve #greenwashing
The tragedy that struck dozens of hikers and mount The tragedy that struck dozens of hikers and mountaineers has shaken us all deeply. We mourn the dead and express our sympathy to their families and the injured. It is, however, a tragedy that must make us reflect. The disaster struck one day after a record high temperature of 10 degrees Celsius was recorded at the glacier’s summit. Italy currently has about 920 glaciers, almost entirely in the Alps. In the last 20 years, the country has lost 25 percent of the water from those shrinking glaciers, and melting glaciers and permafrost weakens the mountains, causing glacier collapse, rockfalls, landslides, mudflows, debris and slushflows. Link in bio 📷 courtesy of CNSAS, Italian Alpine Cliff and Cave Rescue Corps #Marmolada #glacier #Dolomites #Alps #mountainsmatter #mountainwilderness #mountainlovers
📷 Girls in Action! First course for women trek 📷 Girls in Action! First course for women trekking guides in SWAT S ustainable W omen A dventure-Nature-Culture T raining How many years have passed since the day the young and brave Malala Yousafzai was shot by Islamic fundamentalists? Today, in that very same Swat valley, surrounded by the southernmost peaks of the Himalayan mountains, a small but significant revolutionary event is about to take place, involving twenty-four girls like Malala and – just like her – determined to shape their own destiny. To find out more click the link in bio #Swat #HKH #pakistan #mountainlovers #mountainsmatter #girlpower #mountaineering #hiking #trekking #nature #culture #wildlife #cleanclimbing #donoharm
Today is World Environment Day! 2022 is a histori Today is World Environment Day! 2022 is a historic milestone: it marks 50 years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, where the idea of World Environment Day was formalised, with the first one being celebrated in 1973. This year’s theme is #OnlyOneEarth. Did you know that we are using the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to maintain our current way of life? Ecosystems cannot keep up with our demands. Our lifestyles are associated with two thirds of all greenhouse gas emissions. Studies show that sustainable lifestyles and behaviours could reduce our emissions by 40 to 70% by 2050. There are a lot of actions that we as individuals can put in place to make a difference. What are you doing to make this a better place? 📷 #WorldEnvironmentDay #WED2022 #OnlyOneEarth #mountainsmatter #mountainlovers #mountainwilderness #nature #wildlife #donoharm #leavenotrace #cleanclimbing
The General Assembly (GA) of Mountain Wilderness I The General Assembly (GA) of Mountain Wilderness International took place last weekend in Switzerland 🇨🇭 with participants from Catalonia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. It was the first GA in presence since 2019. The outgoing board was re-elected: Jordi Quera - President (Catalonia) Gabriella Suzanne Vanzan - Vice-President (Italy) Gotlind Blechschmidt - Vice-President (Germany) Karin Lankes - Secretary General (Germany) Susanna Gonella - Treasurer (Italy) were joined by Gilles Privat - Vice-President (France) Congrats to the team! 👏 📷 Marta Corrà 🔗 in bio #mountains #mountainsmatter #mountainwilderness #GA2022 #donoharm #leavenotrace #mountainlovers #wildlife #Alps #cleanclimbing
After 3 years we finally met in person! 👏 Our After 3 years we finally met in person! 👏 Our General Assembly 2022 took place last weekend at the hut Les Sommets 🇨🇭 in Canton Vaud's Jura 🏔️ with an amazing view on Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. More info this week! 🙏 @Satorizmagasinsbio 🇫🇷 for the generous food supplies! #mountainsmatter #mountainwilderness #GeneralAssembly2022 #Alps #leavenotrace #cleanclimbing #donoharm #wildlife 💚
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