Founded on the slopes of Spruce Knob in West Virginia in 1972, The Mountain Institute works to conserve mountain environments, preserve mountain cultures and sustainably develop mountain economies. We listen to those who live in mountains and work hand-in-hand with them to identify and implement solutions to their most critical challenges. We are headquartered in Washington D.C. with locally-staffed offices in Nepal, Peru and West Virginia. Our regional locations are no accident, as they are in the world’s highest, longest and oldest mountain ranges — the Himalayas, Andes and Appalachians.