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Adventure Alternatives

The Expedition, Trek, Safari and Gap company. Professional, ethical adventure holidays around the world

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All About Adventure Alternative

Company background

Adventure Alternative began in 1991 as a small expedition company which Gavin Bate started during his years of travelling and mountaineering. In 2001 it became a Limited Company. The Company concentrates on an original trip diversity and the degree of comprehensive back-up in each of the main countries where the company offers trips.
Gavin also started up and assisted several other companies in Kenya, Tanzania, Russia and Nepal which became satellite offices to Adventure Alternative. Providing financial resources and advice on management principles enabled Gavin to ensure no outsourcing or middle-men, plus full employment in the host countries and an executive decision on issues like local salaries, sustainability and environmental concerns.
This long term business model and strategy has given Adventure Alternative an advantage in terms of staff loyalty, credibility and client satisfaction.

In Northern Ireland the staff manage trip preparation and correspondence. Chris and Andy are also Trustees of the Moving Mountains Charity which has all its administrative costs funded by Adventure Alternative. Rosie looks after the accounts and finances. In all our country operations we use an extremely strong, tried and tested network of people who have all been trained by Gavin and employed by Adventure Alternative for eight years and more. Staff ratio is high and conisderation is given to experienced and qualified medical personnel.

Tourism Concern

Adventure Alternative is a member of Tourism Concern and employs local people fairly with proper wages, allowances and insurances. All of our guides and porters in East Africa and Nepal are properly equipped and prepared and they are all acclimatised to high altitude if necessary.

Tour Operator

Adventure Alternative adheres to the requirements for a tour operator under the EU Package Travel Directive. the DTI Package Travel Regulations, the British Code of Advertising, the UK Outdoor Education legislation and the new BS8848 protocol for expeditions, which will be the new 'kitemark' for companies operating adventurous activities outside the UK.
This adherence is spelled out in our company policies which can be found on this website.
We also uphold strict and abiding principles for paying fair wages to our employees in developing countries, making annual changes to account for cost of living. We have clear contracts with all our subsidiary companies detailing conditions of employment which have often been used as the template for the industry.

Insurance & Bankers

Company insurance is through Cork Bays and Fisher based in London; the policy is a combined tour operators, public liability and empoyers insurance package underwritten by Allianz. Adventure Alternative has never had a claim made against it, and has never had to make a claim. Company bankers are the Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland where they have been clients for 15 years.

Financial Security

The Company has never had any liens or debts, and in accordance with financial regulations regarding travel companies operates a trust account where all client monies are held prior to and during the trips. Operational and administrative expenses are covered through a seperate working account. Company accounts can be viewed at Companies House, and Adventure Alternative has maintained a healthy and growing balance sheet every year. Gavin Bate has managed a slow and organic growth over many years resulting in a financially robust company which has never operated beyond its means.

Risk Assessment

We have a risk assessment plan in place for medical emergencies, repatriations, natural or manmade disasters, and full back-up on mountains for rescue services, communications and assistance.
The main tenet of our risk assessment is prevention through preparation. We engage in a proper training and briefing programme prior to all expeditions and during the expedition. All clients are provided with considerable information on issues such as altitude sickness and how to avoid it. We work very hard to ensure that clients learn as much as experience, and that policy has served us well.
Adventure Alternative currently has a 100% safety track record.

Moving Mountains

The Company funds the overheads of the charity in the specific belief that commerce should support charity, a fundamental principle of Gavin's. In this way we can ensure that 100% of all donations to the charity go to the beneficiaries. Our staff donate a percentage of their time to managing the charity, and Adventure Alternative makes cash donations to all the destinations where Gap students and medical electives go.
Thus, it is fair to say that a proportion of every single trip fee goes towards the administration of charity, and a specific proportion of every single Gap trip and medical elective goes directly to beneficiaries such as hospitals, clinics, schools and orphanages.

Statistics

Adventure Alternative currently offers around 50 trips every year to the main destinations of Kenya, Tanzania, Nepal, Russia and Argentina (plus bespoke expeditions worldwide). We have around 500 clients every year.
We employ 4 people full time in the Northern Irish office, 4 people in Tanzania, 2 people in Russia, 4 people in Nepal and 16 people in Kenya (which increases to 44 during the summer season).
Our clients span the age range, and currently are around 45% Irish, 45% British and 10% elsewhere.
With a high rate of repeat business we feel strongly that the personal service offered, the preparation and work that goes into the logistics of every trip, and the projects we run with Moving Mountains, Adventure Alternative does not fall into the trap of being a commercial conveyor belt.