“My feelings for those that live and work in the mountains are filled with deep admiration. I look up to them, I admire their resilience, courage, and endurance in the face of what seems like insurmountable odds.

Growing up exploring the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, I always felt drawn to the challenge, mystery, and peace I found in them. This passion lead me to get all the experiences I could in the backcountry. Eventually this passion weaved together with my passion for emergency medicine. It seems my whole life has pointed me to the mountains.

This calling was never clearer than in September 2021. After returning from a stint teaching search and rescue medicine at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in the Garhwal Himalayas, I was faced with heart-wrenching news. An avalanche had struck the very people I had just been with, my students and colleagues, during a training exercise at 16,000 feet. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming, knowing I was too far away to offer any immediate assistance and that in those high-altitude regions, rescue options were painfully limited.

I am sad to say that of the 44 people on the mountain that day only 22 made it home. The rest were lost to the mountains they loved.

This tragedy hit me hard. I knew I had to do more to help these people I loved. I have spent the past several years dedicating all my efforts to training and advocating for mountain people.

It is from these efforts that the idea for the Mountain People Project was born. It is our hope that we can honor those we have lost to the mountains. The Mountain People project isn’t just a tribute: it is a call to action, a vow made to protect and prepare those who are mountain people like us.”

– Dr. Craig Nuttal, Founder, Mountain People Project