Respect the Mountain

Snowboard Club UK (SCUK) is supporting the snowsports community RESPECT THE MOUNTAIN campaign.

Show the world that you care

With climate change now a reality and snowboarding being dependent on the climate for its future, SCUK believes that unless we all take action now, the mountains we love may not be the same for our children. Some scientists even predict that by the end of the 21st Century, 90% of the Alpine glaciers will have melted as global warming pushes up temperatures.

Those who love the mountains and care about their future can now show their support and respect by wearing the RESPECT THE MOUNTAIN green wristband, which costs £2 each. Purchase one here.

All profits raised from the sale of the wristbands goes straight towards the tree planting scheme and research project.

Seven steps to preserve the mountains

The aim of the campaign is to remind people to be aware of the delicate environment we live and play in and advises people to try and follow the seven steps:

Be aware of your environmental impact as snowboarders and skiers
Educate yourself about your environmental impact on the mountains, and what you can do to minimise it.
Do not leave litter on the slopes
When the snow melts, the litter will still be there. Bin it or take it home. Orange peel takes up to two years to break down, and cigarette ends up to five years. If you find litter on the slopes, do the right thing - pick it up.
Respect the natural habitat of mountain animals and plants
If you ride through trees, you can damage them by knocking off branches and killing young shoots under the snow. Take care. Many areas are out of bounds to protect the natural habitat of animals and plants - not just for safety reasons.
Choose a resort which uses environmentally friendly practices
Many resorts now use bio-diesel fuel in piste-bashers, solar panels for heating, hydro-electricity/wind energy for power and a host of other initiatives. Some resorts use the International Standards Organisation (ISO) 14001 as a mark of their environmental credentials.
Encourage tour operators to adopt green policies
Find out if your tour operator offers train travel as an alternative to flying, if they use paper from sustainable forests for their brochures, if they use, for example, low-wattage light bulbs in their chalets and bio-degradable detergents.
Do your bit to reduce global warming on holiday and at home
Re-use your towels each day, re-cycle household waste and switch off electrical appliances when not in use.
Reduce CO2 emissions
By flying fewer miles, or switching from air to rail, you can help reduce the volume of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. When possible, use your bike instead of your car.

Don't worry we don't mean cycle to resorts, all we want is for you to respect the precious environment we love to live and play in. Thank you for your support!

Wristband campaign

To buy your RESPECT THE MOUNTAIN wristband:

Purchase one with your SCUK membership.
Visit us at a SCUK event such as the SCUK Summer Bash or SCUK Winter Bash.
Come to this summer's AIM Series.
Join in with one of the future SCUK nights.
Order on the phone, by calling 09065 224 698 (and be sure to mention "Snowboard Club") where the cost of the call pays for your wristband
Purchase at the Ski Club Online Shop (SCUK shop coming in the summer).

Buy one for yourself, your friends, your family or colleagues! Everyone wearing a band shows their commitment to the environment and you will have helped a very worthy cause.

Tree for all scheme

The generous donations made by the snowsports community will enable over 400 trees to be planted as part of the Trust's new Tree For All campaign. Tree For All is the largest children's tree planting initiative the UK has ever seen inspiring today's youngsters to become environmental custodians of the future. It is a bold campaign with the vision that every child should have the chance to plant trees. Over the next five years Tree For All will see:

12 million trees planted across the UK - one for every child under the age of 16 in the UK
One million people, especially children, involved in planting trees through school planting events, public events and even in their own back gardens

Further information can be found at www.treeforall.org.uk

Snowboarders and skiers (we don't always like each other, but) both use the mountains and SCUK thank Ski Club of GB (www.respectthemountain.com) for starting this initiative and also thank the support given by Ellis Brigham, TSA, Natives, Avalanche Sports, NUSSC, BASI, Goneboarding, Ski NL, Dutch Ski Club, Orange AIM Snowboard & Ski Series, Soul Sports and many others signing up all the time.