News

Winner of the 2016 Mountain Protection Award

24.10.2016

Mountain Wilderness, a France-based project dedicated principally to the removal of obsolete manmade facilities in the European Alps, was announced as winner of the 2016 International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) Mountain Protection Award during a ceremony held at the UIAA General Assembly in Brixen (Bressanone), Sudtirol, Italy on Friday, 14 October.

Now in its fourth year, the UIAA Mountain Protection Award continues to grow as an internationally-recognized forum for projects, companies and initiatives which support sustainable tourist practices in mountain regions. The 2016 Award showcased 23 projects from 19 different countries on five continents.

The UIAA Mountain Protection Award is partnered by Western University and Golden Rock Travel of Azerbaijan.
The UIAA also recognized the Mount Everest Biogas Project (United States) as the best new initiative and Waste Warriors (India) was confirmed as the 2016 UIAA Mountain Protection Award runner-up.

“Receiving the 2016 UIAA Mountain Protection Award brings great joy to Mountain Wilderness because it represents a mark of recognition from the part of mountain goers from all over the world for all of the work undertaken by our association and its volunteers over the years to defend and protect these exceptional outdoor spaces,” explained the Mountain Wilderness team.

“The Mountain Wilderness project was the highest scored project among the assessors for this year’s award process, not just for its impressive commitment and action on removal of obsolete facilities, but also because of its commitment towards sensitization and education that forms part of their activities,” explained UIAA Mountain Protection Commission President Carolina Adler. “This crucial aspect of socio-cultural outreach is also very important for education and for sustaining the success of these removal efforts in the long run, and so we commend Mountain Wilderness France for including this aspect as an integral part of the project. Seeing the tangible results and landscape transformation towards a more aesthetic mountain environment as a result of this project, is also very impressive.”

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News and photo by UIAA