BALLY EXPANDS ITS MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION EFFORTS
Bally is reinforcing its mountain preservation agenda following the launch of its “Bally Peak Outlook” initiative last year, which included the first-ever cleanup of Mount Everest from base camp to the summit.
The expansive new program of the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation, established early this year to formally structure the Swiss luxury brand’s long-term commitment to the cause, pledges ambitious expeditions and conservation initiatives across the world – from the Himalayas to Mount Fuji to Mount Kilimanjaro.
In 2019, Bally returned to the Himalayas, introducing its Bally Peak Outlook initiative, which pioneered a critical cleanup of Everest from base camp to the peak. The debut expedition, led by environmental activist and mountaineer Dawa Steven Sherpa and his team of expert climbers, successfully removed two tons of waste from Mount Everest with over half collected within the “Death Zone,” reaching the summit at 8,848 meters.
While a return to Mount Everest in 2020 was rendered impossible due to the pandemic canceling climbing season, Bally is renewing its support for the Himalayan region with a series of expeditions over the course of two years. Collaborating again with Dawa Steven Sherpa, Bally will clean the basecamps of the region’s eight mountains over 8,000 m, including Mt. Everest (8,848m), Mt. Kanchenjunga (8,586m), Mt. Lhotse (8,516 m), Mt. Makalu (8,481m), Mt. Cho Oyu (8,188 m), Mt. Dhaulagiri I (8,167 m), Mt. Manaslu (8,156m), and Mt. Annapurna I (8,091m).
Later, in 2021, the expedition will target Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to address local environmental issues and provide support to local rangers in building new trails that create more sustainable access to the summit.
“A year ago, we made a pledge to protect the world’s mountains, launching Bally Peak Outlook with an inaugural clean-up on Mount Everest,” said Nicolas Girotto, Bally CEO. “Leveraging Bally’s Alpine heritage and deep connection to these extreme environments, I am proud to announce the establishment of the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation. This commitment reinforces our extensive program of preservation expeditions and aims to bring awareness to the impact of outdoor tourism and empowering local communities. This is a long-term mission and we are only just getting started.”
“Bally is doing critical work in enabling passionate alpinists and mountaineers, like myself, to realize our dream projects for mountain protection, and in raising awareness for the cause through its expansive network,” added Dawa Steven Sherpa, leader of Eco Everest Expeditions and CEO of Asian Trekking. “The mountains have sustained our ancestors and culture, giving us purpose and livelihoods – it’s time for us to fight back and defend our fragile environments.”
Mountains sustain rich biodiversity and culture, covering 25 percent of the world’s land surface and supplying freshwater for 12 percent of the human population. However, these peaks and their surrounding communities regularly confront the adverse effects of global warming, a scarcity of resources and the consequences of tourism. Now, more so than ever, it is paramount to help these important ecosystems.
Born in the Swiss Alps, Bally’s ties to the mountains are core to its ethos, sponsoring alpine adventures from Winter Olympics teams and early 20th-century climbing expeditions, to creating the iconic reindeer boots worn by Tenzing Norgay during the first-ever ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 with Sir Edmund Hillary.
