Not Zoom, but mountain trails: why McKinsey employees head to the mountains to unplug from work

At McKinsey, one of the world's largest consulting firms, an unusual tradition is taking shape: multi-day treks organized by employees themselves have become a new form of corporate downtime culture. Alex Harman, an AI product manager based in London, founded the informal initiative "Mind Over Mountains" after climbing Kilimanjaro in 2023. The project brings together McKinsey employees from around the world, organizing multi-day mountain treks alongside charity fundraising.

The project began in 2023 with a group of 30 people climbing Kilimanjaro; in 2025, 65 employees traveled to Patagonia; and this September, 100 employees will set off on an eight-day trek of roughly 100 kilometers through the Balkan mountains. Anyone from the company's entire 40,000-strong workforce — from senior partners to entry-level analysts — can sign up. The trip is not an official McKinsey event, and each participant covers their own costs (about $1,000 for the Balkan trip, not including airfare).

Demand was so high that, according to Harman, all 100 spots filled up in just three hours, forcing organizers to open a long waiting list. For participants, the appeal isn't just the destination — it's the chance to fully disconnect from work, spend hours alongside colleagues they had only known through Zoom or email, and temporarily step outside the office hierarchy.

Participants say that in the mountains, job titles stop mattering. "When you're walking next to someone, you have no idea what they do — whether they're a partner or an analyst, there's no way to tell," says Ting Qiu, a senior product manager based in London. Days typically consist of breakfast, walking — alone or in conversation with a new acquaintance — and a shared dinner at camp.

This trend is part of a broader push by large companies to find ways of retaining talent and strengthening team bonds: employee-led initiatives built around real, shared experiences are increasingly valued over formal corporate events, seen as an effective way to preserve team spirit in remote and hybrid work settings.