Summiters: The Rolwaling Mountaineering School

Summiters

The Rolwaling Mountaineering School

March 24 - May 4, 2003
Our Mission:

Bridges Mission Statement

Benefits to the Local Populations

Benefits for our Students

Bridges: Projects in Rational Tourism Development

Mission Statement: Bridges promotes independent backpacking in remote mountain destinations as a basis for cultural and ecological preservation and as an alternative to more destructive avenues to economic opportunity.

Keeping in mind the goals of our parent organization, Bridges-PRTD, the Summiters school has been designed to benefit the local populations of the Rolwaling Valley. It is our goal to increase the economic potential within the valley by bringing relatively high paying work to some of its inhabitants. In addition to increasing the cash flow into the valley, this will also reduce the out-migration that plagues the communities during the trekking and mountaineering seasons. Typically, all able-bodied male members from Rolwaling leave the valley during the spring and fall seasons in search of work. While they have benefited from this migration economically, it means that they must leave their homes, fields and families for the majority of the year. By brining work to Rolwaling, instead of perpetuating this cycle, we give the locals more options and help to release them from the dependency they have learned to live with.

By bringing more money into the valley, and helping to spread it among the inhabitants we hope to benefit their individual lives while increasing the money needed for them to affect the development of their villages on their own terms.

On the other side of the picture, but no less important are our students. Or mission here is to provide the best possible mountaineering training in a unique natural and cultural setting while utilizing world class Sherpa-Mountaineers as instructors. Participants in our school should expect to learn the necessary skills to become safe, competent and independent mountaineers. In addition, our program is enhanced by cultural interaction, homestays and volunteer work in order to make it an experience to remember.

We are not just another cookie cutter mountain guide service. We strive to positively influence the lives of our students as well as the communities that we visit.

Agenda Costs Gear List Staff Photos Bridges to Rolwaling

Sylabus Refrence Library Apply Enrolment Requirements Mission Statement Rolwaling Background

Agenda	Costs	Gear List	Staff	Photos	Bridges to Rolwaling
Sylabus	Refrence Library	Apply	Enrolment Requirements	Mission Statement	Rolwaling Background