Mountains matter. They matter to me, they should matter to you, they matter to us all, and not just on one day, but every single day.

The drops fell rhythmically, metronomically, glassy orbs of exquisite beauty slipping into an icy abyss. I was transfixed, hypnotized by the simplicity, the sublimity, the entrancing meditation and profound power of it all, knowing these drops began as vapor carried from distant lands, fell as snow, melted, and would follow me and my companions some 1,600 miles to the Bay of Bengal, there to be heated, evaporated, condensed, and fall once more on yet another far away place.

Like so many of us, the mountains have been - and remain - a place of deep inspiration and profound power to me. I see mountains, mountain peoples and cultures, and mountain environments as realms of great strength, enduring culture, and global significance. Our mountains are home to 15% of the global population, and 50% […]

Friday, December 11, 2020, is International Mountain Day. Join me and other UN Mountain Partnership Ambassadors and members in celebrating mountains!