Porter Care Service
Why we have prioritize porter care service? Trekking for many people is made much easier by having a porter, and for some people it’s only the presence of a porter that makes a trek possible at all. However, sadly some porters become ill or injured every year in Nepal. Most Nepalese porters are poor farmers from lowland areas. They struggle with high altitudes and harsh mountain conditions and often cannot afford to buy appropriate personal gear for these conditions. In addition, unscrupulous trekking companies mistreat porters by underpaying them in order to offer cheaper treks, or by failing to care for them when things go wrong. People have abandoned some porters to fend for themselves in life-threatening conditions. Meanwhile, helicopters evacuated the trekkers whose packs they had carried to safety.
We at Luxury Holiday Trek support portering employment because it is an important source of income for many Nepalese families. However, we believe all porters have a right to decent working conditions. We ensure our porters are well looked after.
Our working practices for Porters
– All of our porters are covered by a personal insurance policy of US $5,000. This includes enough cover for the emergency helicopter evacuation of the porter should they become seriously ill.
-We ensure our porters have clothing appropriate for the season and altitude. This provides them with proper protection from cold, rain, and snow.
– All of our porters have proper shelter, (either a room in a lodge, or a tent), a sleeping mat and a decent blanket or sleeping bag. They have food and warm drinks.
-We do not pay off porters who become sick or injured whilst working without careful assessment of their condition. We never send them down alone. They’re accompanied by someone who speaks their language and understands their problem.
– We do not ask our porters to carry loads too heavy for their physical abilities. Usually, this is a maximum of 25 kg. However, we adjust the weight limit for the altitude, trail, and weather conditions.
