134 The KE TeamTalk to an adventure expert on017687 73966 Whether answering the office phone, leading groups in the high mountains or preparing your evening meal, KE staff play a crucial part in ensuring you have a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable holiday. KE Directors and Office Staff Tim Greening and Glenn Rowley are still very much ' hands on' directors and when either of these seasoned travellers returns from a research trip full of enthusiasm for a new destination, we know we're on to a winner. The team of KE office staff is amongst the most experienced in the business, with the proven ability to set up and operate a worldwide programme of adventures. Each of them has adventure travel at heart and keeps their knowledge of KE holidays up- to- date by joining at least one trip a year. This depth of experience makes KE stand out from other adventure travel operators. KE Leaders and Local Staff A competent, caring and efficient leadership team is essential for any group of adventure travellers. By definition, this type of travel will involve the unexpected, be it sudden storms, route diversions or transport breakdown. Thousands of satisfied clients can confirm that KE leaders take such situations in their stride, be it as rescuer, nurse, diplomat or mechanic. All of our holidays are accompanied by a professional leader or a local guide selected on the basis of his or her experience and leadership skills. Most of these leaders have worked for KE for many years and many are guides or instructors with an unrivalled knowledge of the areas, cultures and environments in which they work. In addition to having the technical skills to ensure your safety, KE expects its leaders to be active members of the group. A leader should be fun to travel with and ready to share with you their enthusiasm for adventure travel and their knowledge of the area. Alongside the group leader, there will be a local support crew, which could be just a driver, or a complete team of guides, drivers, porters, mule- herders and cooks. The hard work of our support crews, along with the fascinating insight they can offer into their own culture, is integral to providing you with the very best holiday experience. Talk to an Adventure Expert When you contact KE, by phone or email, or visit our office, you will find the help and advice you need, from someone who has actually been on the trip and can give you the benefit of their first- hand experience. Although lots of useful information can be found in our brochures, dossiers and website, there's no substitute to actually talking to an adventure expert - it really does make all the difference! TheKETeam KE Travel Our in- house travel agency - KE Travel - will take care of all your holiday extras: . Cheap airport car parking . Discount airport hotel rooms . Flexible airport transfers In addition KE Travel can help you with any of your other holiday or travel arrangements, throughout the year: Great Holidays Safaris, city breaks, winter sports, cruises, scuba diving, sun, sea and sand. Travel Services Flight tickets, car rental, hotels at home and abroad. KE Travel is a member of ABTA and this, combined with our ATOL License, offers you protection for all aspects of your travel arrangements. For advice or a quotation on any of our services contact the KE Travel team on 017687 80888, email them on info@ ketravel. co. ukor visit ketravel. co. uk. The key to KE's success is our team of dedicated and experienced staff

For latest trip availability visit keadventure. comResponsible Tourism 135 Responsible Tourism KE's RT Awards In autumn 2008, AITO revised their Responsible Tourism award system, which now has a rating of up to 5 stars. KE has achieved 5- star status on account of our RT policies, the implementation of sustainable office practice, communication with our customers, environmental practice and practical within- destination activity. In 2007 we won the AITO Achievement in Responsible Tourism Award in recognition of our contributions over 20 years. Also in 2007, we were awarded Highly Commended status in the Best Tour Operator category of the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards. Ever since we ran our first trip in 1984, we have been committed to minimising our environmental impact. Recognising the fragility of the world's wilderness environments, we keep our groups small and operate according to a ' Mountain Code', which is provided to all groups, trek leaders, agents and staff. ... leaving more than just footprints The Juniper Trust ( Registered Charity: 1053356. Patron: Sir Chris Bonington). It is important to us that our clients are not the only beneficiaries of the travel experience, but that we share a two- way relationship with the people and communities that we visit on our travels. Our 15- year association with the Juniper Trust has enabled KE to make a positive contribution in many of the areas that we operate, by locating sustainable community projects, raising funds and seeing projects through to their completion. Ongoing Projects Worldwide Nepal - Chobar School Project Occupying a quiet hillside location above Kathmandu, this school was built by the Juniper Trust. It provides a means of education for orphaned and other children from deprived backgrounds. Jersey College is currently helping to raise £ 3000 to install a new water tank at the school. Peru Solar Lamp Project The Juniper Trust has once again supported the Peru Solar Lamp Project, with a £ 5000 donation towards the provision of sustainable lighting in remote mountain villages in the Cordillera Huayhuash. Val Pitkethly continues to be the driving force behind this project. Kenya - Island School Island School is located in Ol Maisor, a small village beneath Mount Kenya. Jo Richardson Community School have raised £ 4000 to help build three concrete classrooms to replace existing mud hut classrooms. The Juniper Trust has matched this amount and the project is scheduled for early completion. Tibet - The Tibet Vision Project This project sponsors mobile eye surgery hospital units and trains local doctors to treat the epidemic of cataract blindness afflicting the Tibetan people. Hundreds of poor Tibetans have received free eye care in this way. The Juniper Trust has donated £ 2800 to Tibet Vision Aid and there is no limit to the amount of support they need. In addition to the above, KE and Juniper Trust are researching many new projects worldwide. Find out more at: junipertrust. co. uk If you want to make a contribution to a particular project you can do it online, or send your donation to: The Juniper Trust, PO Box 104, Keswick, CA12 5WD Shopping at Cotswold Outdoor raises funds for the Juniper Trust! KE clients are entitled to a 15% discount at Cotswold Outdoor. Additionally, Cotswold Outdoor very kindly donates to the Juniper Trust part of the money received from KE clients. The most recent donation of £ 3934 has been allocated to the Lingshed Hostel Project in Ladakh. A big thank you to Cotswold Outdoor in their continued efforts to support the Juniper Trust! KE supports Climate Care For voluntary Carbon Offset contributions visit: climatecare. org THEAITO QUALITY CHARTER AITO is the Association for independent and specialist holiday companies. Our member companies, usually owner- managed, strive to create overseas holidays with high levels of professionalism and a shared concern for quality and personal service. The Association encourages the highest standards in all aspects of tour operating. EXCLUSIVE MEMBERSHIP AITO sets criteria regarding ownership, finance and quality which must be satisfied before new companies are admitted to membership. All members are required to adhere to a Code of Business Practice which encourages high operational standards and conduct. FINANCIAL SECURITY An AITO member is required to protect money paid by customers to the member for any holiday sold under the AITO logo. This protection applies to customers who are in the UK at the time of booking or to overseas customers who have booked directly with the member. Members have to comply with the UK Government Regulations in this respect. Members submit details of their bonding or guarantee arrangements to the Association on a regular basis. ACCURATE BROCHURES and WEBSITES All members do their utmost to ensure that all their brochures and other publications, print or electronic, clearly and accurately describe the holidays and services offered. PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENTS All members are committed to high standards of service and believe in regular and thorough training of employees. Members continually seek to review and improve their holidays. They listen to their customers and always welcome suggestions for improving standards. MONITORING STANDARDS AITO endeavours to monitor quality standards regularly. All customers should receive a post- holiday questionnaire, the results of which are scrutinised by the Association. RESPONSIBLE TOURISM All members acknowledge the importance of AITO's Responsible Tourism guidelines, which recognise the social, economic and environmental responsibilities of tour operating. Those demonstrating their achievements beyond the pure acceptance of this principle are recognised by the award of 2 to 5 star status. CUSTOMER RELATIONS All members endeavour to deal swiftly and fairly with any issues their customers may raise. In the unlikely event that a dispute between an AITO member and a customer cannot be settled amicably, AITO's low- cost Independent Dispute Settlement Service may be called upon by either side to bring the matter to a speedy and acceptable conclusion. KE Adventure Travel is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. To contact the Association, visit www. aito. co. uk or call 020 8744 9280. Solar Lamp Project, Peru - Val Pitkethly