DO GOOD WITH YOUR CLIMBING; HELPING UNF%#K THE PLANET

WE LIKE A GOOD CAUSE, AND ACTIVELY SUPPORT RESEARCH, EMPLOYMENT, ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS WHERE THEY INTERSECT WITH WHAT WE DO, RANGING FROM SNOW LEOPARD AND WILD CAMEL RESEARCH AND REPLACING COAL STOVES, TO WOMENS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE WAY EXPEDITION CLIMBERS HAVE HAD A ROLE IN FUCKING UP THINGS, DISTORTING THE ECONOMIES OF REMOTE PLACES, BURNING THROUGH RESOURCES AND BUYING INTO BLING AND GLAM ALL IN THE PURSUIT OF COOL HOLIDAYS, AND AT FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS WE KNOW THE FORMER CAN BALANCE OUT THE LATTER.

BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE BEST INTENTIONS OF A SMALL BUSINESS IN THE AWKWARD END OF A NICHE INDUSTRY CAN ONLY HAVE A LIMITED EFFECT, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE OPEN TO THE INTENTIONS OF OTHERS. FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW ALL YOU WHO CLIMB WITH US HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO GOOD CAUSES THROUGH DONATIONS WITHIN YOUR EXPEDITION COSTS, AND NOW WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

THIS MEANS WE WILL DISCOUNT 5% OF ANY TOTAL EXPEDITION COSTS THAT SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE. WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT AN INDIVIDUAL OR A TEAM THAT ACTIVELY SUPPORTS A REAL CAUSE BY CLIMBING IN THE NAME OF IT WE WILL FORGO 5% OF WHAT WE MAKE SO THAT CAUSE CAN HAVE IT.

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THE DETAILS

GOOD CAUSE

WE DON’T APPLY THIS TO FUND-BASED CHARITIES LIKE THE RED CROSS, UNICEF AND WORLD VISION, THAT HARVEST DONATIONS TO SPEND HOW THEY SEE FIT. WHAT WE MEAN BY GOOD CAUSE IS DIRECT PROGRAMS TO SPECIFIC CAUSES, BY DEDICATED ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE CLEARLY DEFINED OBJECTIVES. EXAMPLES ARE COMMUNITY PROJECTS, ORGANIZATIONS THAT TARGET SPECIFIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS, FUNDRAISERS FOR SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS OR DEDICATED GROUPS, AND RESEARCH PROJECTS DEVOTED TO EFFORTS TO THINGS THAT MAKE THE WORLD BETTER.

EXAMPLES OF GOOD CAUSES WE HAVE ENGAGED WITH ARE VETERAN SUPPORT GROUPS, ENDANGERED ANIMAL RESEARCH, HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS, THE AGA KHAN, MEDICINES SANS FRONTIERS, SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY AND THE CHARITABLE WINGS OF WEALTHY ROCK BANDS THAT FUND STUFF LIKE CANCER RESEARCH (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE).

EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE DON’T RUN WITH ARE UN AGENCIES, EXCLUSIVE OR UNDISCLOSED RELIGIOUS GROUPS, GENERIC FUNDRAISERS, KICKSTARTERS, LONGTERM ‘OFFSETTING’ PROGRAMS, CORPORATE GROUPS, SPONSORING INDIVIDUALS, SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS, AND ANYTHING THAT CAN’T BE SUBSTANTIATED BY CONTACTING THE SOURCE. THIS LIST ISN’T NECESSARILY A COMMENT ON THE CHARACTER OF THESE CAUSES, IT IS SIMPLY A FILTER SO THE FUNDS CAN HAVE THE MOST EFFECT.

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ACTIVE SUPPORT

THIS MEANS YOU ARE DOING MORE THAN SIMPLY CLICKING ‘DONATE’ ON A WEBSITE.

ACTIVE SUPPORT MEANS YOU ARE PART OF THE CAUSE, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE SPECTRUM FROM LISTED BENEFACTOR TO DOING THE HARD WORK. YOU HAVE THE T-SHIRT, YOU ENGAGE WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS, YOU DO THE THING IT’S ABOUT, YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE, THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE. IT MEANS YOU WILL HAVE YOUR EXPEDITION INTERFACING THE CAUSE, AND THE CAUSE ITSELF IS PARTY TO THIS.

EXAMPLES ARE BEING A DIRECTOR, WORKING ON A PROJECT, VOLUNTEERING, BEING A RESEARCHER, BEING A SPOKESPERSON, DIRECTLY FUNDING A PROJECT, OPENLY ADVOCATING THE CAUSE. WE HAVE TO SEE THAT YOU ARE PERSONALLY PROMOTING THE CAUSE AND SO HAVE THE CONNECTION TO IT TO BACK IT UP. ON EXPEDITION WE EXPECT TO SEE THINGS LIKE SHIRTS, STICKERS, FLAGS, VIDEO REPORTS, AND DISCUSSION.

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TOTAL COST

THIS MEANS THE TOTAL OF THE ENTITY THAT ADVOCATES THE CAUSE, EITHER A WHOLE TEAM, OR THE TOTAL COST OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO JOINS ONE. ALL RELEVANT COSTS ARE WORKED OUT OF WHAT WE HAVE TO CHARGE, AND 5% OF THAT IS DEDUCTED OR WE CAN DIRECTLY SEND IT. THIS IS NOT OUR CONTRIBUTION, IT IS YOURS – WE ALREADY MAKE OUR OWN – AND ANY TAX STUFF IS UP TO YOU.

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WE KNOW WE CAN’T SAVE THE WORLD, BUT WE CAN DO WHAT WE CAN FROM THE SMALL NICHE WE INHABIT, ESPECIALLY AS WE INHABIT ONE WHERE CHANGES ARE DRAMATICALLY FELT. WE FIND IT HYSTERICAL THAT CERTAIN HUGE COMPANIES FAWN OVER ‘1% FOR THE PLANET’, WHEN IT IS THEIR OWN SUPPLY CHAINS, PRODUCTION, LABOR PROTOCOLS AND CONTRACTING PROCESSES THAT DEFINE THE BAD PRACTICES SUCH AN EMPTY STATEMENT PRETENDS TO ADDRESS. THIS IS OUR WAY OF SPREADING THE PROCESS OF UNFUCKING AS FAR AS WE CAN, BEYOND OUR OWN SPECIFIC NICHE AND OUT WHERE IT’S NEEDED.