Policy Aims:
Our mission statement is simply: “Nature is the adventure”. Through it we have tailored all our trips in such a way that they do not harm or effect the nature. We always inform all our clients of how to take part and pass through nature without leaving a mark.
Our four guidelines are:
Take nothing but pictures.
Kill nothing but time.
Leave nothing but footprints.
Make nothing but memories.
Environmental Responsibility:
When we need transport between places or transfer of luggage or supplies we offset the carbon emission through the Icelandic Carbon fund (www.kolvidur.is).
We also take part in the Icelandic Nature Conservation organization (www.natturuverndarsamtok.is ) and through them take an active part in supervision over constructions in the highlands of Iceland. The organization is puplic forum that issues statements and gives their opinion on all matters concerning construction in the Icelandic nature.
We recycle as much of our waste as possible. Both at our office, at our basecamps, in our restaurant and on tours we take all waste with us and dispose of it after the trip.
On our treks through the magnificent Icelandic nature we place a heavy emphasis on our leave no trace policy.
At the start of every trip we will provide participants with information on how best to pass through without leaving their mark, so future generations can visit these special places in their natural state. Each trip has a different approach, f.ex. a cave trip and raft trip have different foucs points.
We run our own guide school here in Iceland. There we train all our own guides. Environmental matters are kind of imprinted in all Icelanders. We are the only nation that depends solely on renewable energies for heating our houses and creating electricity (no fossil fuels except for cars). The conservation of electricity here in Iceland is therefore not the same big issue as elsewhere in Europe. We also have an abundant supply of water since we have very much rain- and snowfall. In addition to that the Icelandic nature is so unspoiled that all running water in Iceland is fit for drinking, right out of the rivers and streams. Hence, bottled water is not an environmental concern, it is not used on any of our trips.
Social Responsibility:
We try to take part in every fund raiser for children in Asia and support at least one child every year to find education and food. We also give all the lost and found items to the Red Cross. We give all hot drinks away at our restaurant and instead ask people to donate some change to the Red Cross. In the same manner we ask people that use our free internet service at our store to donate to the same cause.
Economic Responsibility:
We try our best to use Icelandic ingredients e.g. we only use Icelandic lamb meat / salmon and vegetables.
We only use local guides, Icelanders that are passionate about their environment and its conservation.
Every single trip we operate is genially Icelandic, packed lunches are made with Icelandic ingredients such as cabin smoked lamb from Húsavík and dried fish from Vestfirðir. If we dine in restaurants we eat f.ex. at Rauða Húsið or Hafið Bláa, that are Icelandic seafood restaurants in the small towns of Eyrarbakki and Stokkseyri on the North Atlantic coast. All our services are performed in the countryside or highlands and we are fiercely local, using only hostels, guesthouses or hotels where we have a personal relationship with its owners and staff. These include f.ex. Frost and Fire guesthouse in Hveragerði and under Vatnajökull glacier, Hótel Hekla and Hótel Gullfoss.
