Hiking in Iceland, small group

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

Icelandic tourism is a high-carbon emitting industry. Iceland itself has one of the highest carbon emission rates per capita in the world. This trip, however, reduces your carbon footprint to an absolute minimum and introduces a mindful approach to tourism in Iceland that will hopefully have an impact over time. Hiking is both the most enjoyable and sustainable way to experience Icelandic nature, as it lowers your carbon footprint significantly.

The mountain huts use electric energy from solar panels, and the use of water from local springs is minimal. We keep transport in fuel-based vehicles to a minimum, taking stopovers only at locations along our route to the Highlands. The vehicle operator company, Icelandica, has a proactive carbon footprint policy and is ambitious to become carbon neutral, partnering with the local biofuel company, Vaxa.

Our food will be vegetarian and vegan, using local products whenever possible, thus reducing the immense carbon footprint of meat production. An exception may be when we choose to serve local free-range lamb or fish for our celebration evening. Vegetarian or vegan options will always be available.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE:

Our trip operates within the Leave No Trace policy. This means that we do not disturb any natural habitats or wild animals on our journey. We bring our trash with us and never dispose of anything in nature. We do not take any natural items, rocks, or plants with us.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

We are partnering with the local company Útivist, which is an Icelandic outdoor association run mostly by volunteers who are passionate about preserving and sharing Icelandic nature. Since 1975, Útivist has kept mountain huts and trails alive throughout Iceland, and we are happy to work with a well-established local company that is based on local initiative rather than the corporate tourist industry. On the trip, alongside guide Elsebeth Thing, we will have with us life coach, cook, and nutritionist Fabien Ericsson, who is French-born but lives in Reykjavík with his family. Our guides speak Icelandic and are well-immersed in both Icelandic nature and culture. The food supplied for the trip will, as much as possible, be from Icelandic producers. Most food in Iceland is imported, but there are homegrown vegetables and Icelandic-produced brands.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY, AND DIVERSITY

Our values correspond to the principles of permaculture: People Care, Fair Share, and Earth Care. We know that these three principles must be balanced for anything to be sustainable. People Care means caring for ourselves and each other. We accomplish this through our sharing pods, ensuring inclusivity and emotional well-being on the hiking trip. Fair Share means we will take as much as needed and nothing more. Our guides are paid fairly, more than the local guide standard, as we view our guides as creative leaders of the trip. Lastly, Earth Care: we hope our hike will lead to a deeper connectedness and inspire to more caring towards our home planet from all our participants.