MOUNTAINBUG TRAVEL POLICIES |
| Supporting the local
economy |
- We live and work in the Pyrenees year round.
We are a French company paying local taxes and are dedicated to supporting
our village community
|
Using
local tradesmen and guides |
- We use local guides and instructors, local
craftsmen and tradesmen. We encourage our guests to shop in the village
and support the small traders.
|
Serving
local produce |
-
We serve locally-produced
meats purchased from our village butcher. This includes the Bareges-Gavarnie
AOC lamb which never leaves our valley. We introduce our guests to
local honey, mountain sheeps' cheeses, cured mountain sausages and
hams, confit duck and Tarbais beans produced in the SW of France.
We promote local wines and spirits on our house bar. Our guests are
encouraged to try local dishes at a mountain restaurant on our night
off.
|
Promoting
traditional methods |
- We live in
a pastoral area. Our walks pass through meadowland on bergers' paths
and past traditional stone barns. We discuss local farming methods,
visit the cheese farm, traditional bakery and mills.
|
Promoting
local culture and language |
- The people
of the Pays Toys have their own Occitan dialect as well as speaking
French. They have been very friendly and supportive to us, and we try
hard to promote their language and culture.
|
Operating
a "tread lightly" policy and leaving no traces
|
- Our walking
holidays rely on leg-power. Our aim is to reach the wildest and most
beautiful parts of the mountains, but to leave no trace of our passing.
|
Discovering
the local environment - geology, flora and fauna |
- Our holidays
are about discovering the mountain environment. We look at flowers,
birds, animals and geological processes. We discuss the mountain ecosystem
and climate zones, and the effect of global warming on the ecology.
In Spring we run walking holidays specifically focusing on wild flowers,
birds and butterflies.
|
Accessing
the mountains on foot all year round |
- As
well as Alpine skiing in Winter, we are developing snowshoeing and ski-touring
programmes to enable people to discover the Winter mountain environment
without using powered lifts or noisy skidoos.
|
Minimising
the use of vehicular transport |
- Wherever possible we walk
directly from the house or within our valley. We have a single company
minibus and offer transfers to reduce the need for guests to hire multiple
vehicles at the airport. We also encourage the use of public transport
for travellers.
|
Minimising paper consumption and postal air miles |
|
Recycling |
|
Accommodation |
- Our
holidays are based from our own traditional house in a high mountain
village. We spent two years restoring the house to its former glory,
maintaining the original features and using local craftsmen whilst taking
steps to improve the energy-efficiency of the house. Our work has encouraged
a general "facelift" of the village.
|
Heating
and water |
- Our
house is gas centrally heated, by a very efficient, modern, on-demand
boiler. Heating is supplemented with a wood-stove burning wood from
managed, sustainable forest (with zero carbon debt). We encourage our
guests to close their shutters at night to conserve heating energy.
Our roof and all of our walls are fully-insulated. Our washrooms are
fitted with showers rather than baths, and our toilets have an eco-flush
option to reduce water consumption. We use eco-friendly A-rated appliances,
wash our own bedding and line-dry our linen outside in the mountain
air whenever possible.
|
Mountain
refuges |
- Many
of our walking holidays include a night in an mountain refuge. The refuge
has a composting toilet, solar panels and is supplied by donkey. All
food waste is consumed by the refuge's own pig! We carry all our rubbish
with us back down the mountain.
|
Travel |
- We
promote travel to the Pyrenees by public transport (Eurostar to Paris,
TGV train to Lourdes, local bus service to Bareges). We also suggest
to families that they can bring their own car on the ferry to Spain,
thus avoiding short haul flights.
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