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| Stego's FAQ on Nepal travel v.3 - Porters, guides & agencies 1/2 |
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Keywords: Guides & porters
From: Peter G. (Mayudog) <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.01.13 | (Id.: 17) |
>I disagree with Peter's advice to go completely on your own.
>Although Nepal has less violent crime than the US, it is not a nation
>of saints, and it is not a good idea for a foreign tourist who is
>wealthy by local standards, especially a woman, to travel without a
>friend or a guide with a solid reputation.
Yeah, I agree. This was before reading Sarah's posting that she was a female who would be on her own. Then I'd definitely hook up with someone, although I still contend the agency thing will erect an artificial barrier between you and things Nepali. And I confess to being a bit Peace Corps macho, but not to the point of foolishness. (Usually.) It's good for people to remember that a Peace Corps woman who knew Nepali and knew her way around Nepal was killed on a trekking trail while I was there in 1987.
If you want a great trek between the totally commercial Everest/Annapurna and the way out there Dolpo/Kachenjunga, may I suggest Gosainkunda?
Although the trail starts only one day's busride away from K'du (or you could actually walk out from beyond Boudha), it's pretty quiet in the off season. I've gone twice; the first time I saw no tourists and the second there were three. The little lake up there is very attractive and although it'll be cloudy, if you get a break there are great views. You can also hook into the Langtang trek from there, which gets more business, but not the kinds of crowds you'll find in, say, Naamche.
Enjoy!
peter G
Peter G. ([email protected]) "I'll be working, working, but if you come visit I'll put down what I'm doing; my friends are important." -- David Byrne
Keywords: Guides & porters, Annapurnas
From:...
| Date: 96.02.21 | (Id.: 43) |
I suppose you'll always be taking your chances. I personally didn't hear of anyone getting ripped off by their guide or porter when I was there, but I am sure it happens.
>2) How many porters do you recommend for 2 people (i.e. 1 sirdar,
>2 porters)?
Depends how much stuff you have. If you are doing the Annapurna circuit and starting off in Pokhara, many guest houses will allow you to leave unessential things locked up while you trek. I wasn't charged for this.
>3) Where's the best place to find porters to hire?
Ask around with other travelers who are staying inPokhara and Kathmandu, those who have just returned from a trek may be able to reccomend someone. I wound up taking on a Nepalese who sat next to me on a bus to Pokhara as both a guide and porter.
>4) How much should we expect to pay? I assume lodging and food for > porter's should be included in the cost?
It totally depends. You can strike basically whatever bargain you wish with the porter. My arrangement worked out that his food and lodgings were up to him, and I paid him 150 rupees a day. At the time ('92-'93) that worked out to about three bucks a day. Lord, did I feel like an exploitive, rich American!
>5) Our understanding is the Annapurna ciruit is extremely popular, are
>we better to use our tent then to stay in Tea houses?
Why? The guest houses are cheap and great places to meet both Nepalese and westerners. You probably won't even need to bring your tent along.
There are guest facilities the whole way through.
Keywords: Guides & porters, Polemic
From: Richard Johnson <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.04.15 | (Id.: 52) |
>My girlfriend and I are planning on trekking around Annapurna in October
>and would apprieciate any comments on the use of porters. I'm
>particularly interrested in the moral delema. Of course it would be nice
>to have someone carry my stuff but I feel a little funny about it.
>Particularly because I try to be conscious of the impact I make as a
>white male traveling the "third world." There are may sides of this that
>I have thought about and I enthusiastically invite input. Thank You.
Namaste.
Having recently trekked the Annapurna Sanctuary route, I would suggest that taking a porter will grately enhance your enjoyment of the trek and will help the livelihood of one man, his family, and therefore his village.
My girlfriend and I did not use a porter. We wanted to be independant. Many other trakkers were using porters. Next time we shall.
Trekking while carrying heavy rucsacs is quite a chore especially over a long route such as the Annapurna Circuit.
Enjoy
Richard
--
Richard Johnson +44 (0)118 920 3994 mailto:[email protected]
EDI Engineering, Digital Equipment Co., Reading, Berkshire. RG2 0TU. England
http://www.hal.com/services/juggle/home/[email protected]/
Keywords: Guides & porters, Polemic
From: Per Löwdin <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.04.18 | (Id.: 53) |
I hope You are aware that there is no need whatsoever to have porters on the Annapurna circuit, unless You are very frail or really sick. In which case it may be better not to go at all. There is everything You need along the way: lodges, food, etc. In fact all You need is good shoes, something warm and watertight, and a tooth brush. Personally, I would also prefer to bring my own sleeping bag The rest of your luggage you can safely leave in the Kathmandu Guest House or some other well-established hotel in Kathmandu. My point is that the Annapurna trail is not in the wilderness. It has become a major tourist trap. So You might just aswell enjoy the benefits of the "tourist industry." The lodges are generally run by families and they will do everything to cater to Your tastes: in some places, but not all, You will find the food tastier and cleaner than even in the better hotels in Kathmandu.
So my advice is: forget about porters. Walk light and swift. Take plenty of time. If you find a nice lodge You can stay for a couple of days and look around, hike up high on the slopes, above Manang or Marpha or wherever You like it. And in case You get really exhausted or want to move fast You can always get a porter for the day if the price you offer is right. I once went in one day from Jomosom to Tatopani with a porter I found the same morning in Jomosom. I paid him 100 rps, about 8 dollars, three times the normal rate at the time, and we moved very fast. I think we covered several days trekking in just one day. I wanted to get out quickly after six weeks on the route. He had precisely the same food as I did, ate biscuits and tea when I did, and so on, and he was delighted, telling everyone along the way what a splendid deal it was.
A last bit of advice: if You engage someone en route much depends on how you make the agreement. If You want to go really slow and easy strike a deal about a certain price per day. If You want to get ahead agree about a price for getting to a certain place. In the latter case You will find that it is sometimes possible to do in a day what trekking agents will tell You takes four or five days.
Keywords: Guides & porters, Politics
From: JaiNepal <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.04.20 | (Id.: 54) |
In response to recent postings about using porters, portering is a major source of work and income and the second biggest activity after farming.
In many families, the wife and children take care of the small plot of land and the few goats, chickens and buffalo while the husband does other work like portering or going to India for long periods of time. So portering is a major and very important activity for the fragile economy of rural Nepal.
Before 1960 when Nepal served as a major trade route between Tibet and India, many Nepalis made a living by carrying loads of rice and salt back and forth between the north of the country and the south. Now, the border between Nepal and Tibet is mostly closed. But fortunately in the 60's and 70's tourism brought trekkers and mountainers to Nepal. Many of these people started hiring porters and putting money into the local economy.
I have many friends who are porters in the Pokhara area. I have used them for years for myself and also for small groups that I bring to Nepal.
These fellows are most happy for the work and every year look forward to the fall and spring tourist season so they can get jobs.
A good porter knows good places to stay and usually will know the owner of a guest house. He can eat his dal bhat in the kitchen with the staff and family members. He is given a place to sleep but usually has to have his own sleeping bag - since bedding goes first to the tourists. I have had porters eat with me, but mostly they stay healthier and enjoy the dal bhat. Now, to be honest, I eat mostly dal bhat and lose weight and feel much healthier after a month. But that is another topic.
So please hire porters. Pay them at least 300 rupees a day - about $5.
Make sure that if it will be cold they have a sleeping bag and a down coat. And make sure that they have sneakers or boots. You may have to rent some items for them and sthey should take care of their own food and lodging. But as someone mentioned, treat them nicely. If you get tea or soda and a snack, pay for them to have tea and a snack.
Also, do not ovwerburden them. Even though they can carry very big and heavy loads, it is not good for them. Himal magazine had a recent article on the bad effects on the spine of commercial porters. Carry some of your own things in a small bag and let your porter carry the rest of your items. Many porters are very good guides and speak good English. They are extremely nice and friendly people.
You will be doing the Nepali porters a great service if you hire them and treat them well. And you will have alot of fun with them. If you need any references for good porter-guides in the Pokhara/Annapurna area, please e-mail me.
Keywords: Guides & porters, Polemic
From: Per Löwdin <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.04.22 | (Id.: 56) |
>[email protected] writes:
>What do Nepalese think of porters?
It depends: basically there are two types. The sirdar or sardar and the kuli. The sardar is kind of a boss. Often works for a large trekking company in Kathmandu. The sardar arranges and organises trekks. The best have a back ground in high altitude portering and climbing. You will even find those that have more or less dragged and carried foreigners to the top of Everest.
Sardars tend to be Sherpas, though you also find other castes. They have a high prestige. And tend to sport excellent equipment.
The other type is the kuli. The kulis are human beasts of burdens. Often an organised trekk will have one sardar and five to twenty kulis who carry everything from live chickens to field toilets. The status of the kuli depends on his caste and general standing and which area you are trekking in. Normally, the kuli has a very low social status. Sometimes, but not always, they are treated as untouchables. We had two guys who were portering for us for just a day to Junbesi, and some hotels would not accept to have them in the house. Portering is a lousy job.
On the other hand if You boycott porters on principled grounds you are just making things worse for them. They need the cash, etc. Needless to say, only people who are broke have portering as a profession. I have seen porters getting treated very badly a couple of times and I think it is unforgivable. The most common "sin" in this regard I think is to force porters which are not properly equipped to high altitudes. Once, I came down from Thorung La I first met some Germans heading up fast though a light snowfall from Muktinath with their properly equipped sardar in search of a high altitude camp. Further down I met their porters who were trying to catch up. They only had cotton rags and some were bare foot. Lots of Nepalese have died needlessly in this way.
Keywords: Guides & porters, Polemic
From: Scott Yost <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.04.22 | (Id.: 57) |
My point of view on this, having trekked with a guide in Nepal, is that you definitely should hire a porter or guide if you can afford to. My guide, who is also now a good friend, started out as a porter when he was around 14.
Many start even younger. Hiring a porter is good for both of you. For one thing, it will help you understand how bizarre and western your idea of even being concerned about hiring a porter is. I will admit that it is wierd at first to have a personal servant doing everything for you. But you should remember that it is a respectable occupation, often the best which is available to many Nepalese. Porters are as essential to rural Nepal as truck drivers are to America, and they are every bit as professional. There are no roads.
Foreigners pay much better than locals, so most porters are very happy to work for a trekker. Also, working for a foreigner gives the porter an opportunity to learn English if he chooses. This can be an essential step in upward mobility for them. Practicing English is very valuable.
You should remember that the English skills of most porters are negligable.
If you want someone you can talk to more easily, hire a guide/porter. They know English and will help you carry things, but charge more also. Either way, the constant contact with a Nepalese person will help you get over your strange western ideas, which are otherwise not likely to change much. You can also make a very good friend in the process. So my recommendation is to hire a guide or porter, whether you think you need to or not (I consider them to be totally unnecessary from any practical point of view, if you can carry a moderate size pack). Then go with an open mind, and try to understand how your guide/porter sees the world, and learn from him.
It is true that you will be uncomfortable at first. This is inevitable, but it is good. My first day on the trail, I would not let my guide Lal carry my pack. He found this really disconcerting, and bothered me endlessly until I traded packs with him (his was very small). I eventually realized that my concerns about having him do things for me made absolutely no sense to him.
He sees himself as a professional, and this is part of his job. He was much happier when I let him do it in a way he felt was correct. In time you will not think about this any more, and if you are lucky, you and your guide will learn a lot from each other and become friends. When I return to Nepal, it will be mainly to visit Lal. The Nepalese can be very wonderful people, and it is an honor to get to know one well.
Good luck with your trek. It may not be an easy decision. There are good guide/porters and bad ones, and your experiences may very, but at least they should be interesting, and you will come back with a lot more from your trek than just pretty pictures of mountains.
Scott Yost
--
Scott A. Yost | WWW: http://enigma.phys.utk.edu/~syost/[email protected]
|Department of Physics & Astronomy | Featuring "A Visit to Nepal", including
University of Tennessee, Knoxville | detailed journal, photographs and maps.
Keywords: Guides & porters, Polemic
From: Raju Tuladhar <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.04.22 | (Id.: 58) |
: [email protected] writes:
:......
: the past, its a nomadic way. Its just seems wierd to hire somebody to
: move your stuff around, it violates that feeling for me. It sort of
: makes me feel like all I am as a westerner, is money. They are a people,
: and I would rather share their burden with them, than pay them to take
: mine. I guess it has a feeling of slavery, wielding my economic good
: fortune, in order to get somone to carry my stuff....
:...
For most of the porter, the economic burden is heavier than the weight of the backpack that they would be carrying for the tourists.
The porters just like any westerners have their dignity too, and they would like to earn their livelyhood by honest means. Working manual labour is not derogatory by any means. Whereas, most westerners may feel ecstasic by giving some donations (which is equivalent to giving alms), it is ironic that they feel their conscience pinched to use them as porters and pay for their labors.
Using a porter is not much different than riding a cab or taxi in which we pay someone to drive for us. And how do the big AirLine pilots feel who carry the people and cargo for which they get paid? In western countries too, there is no lack of evidences of exploitation of labours.
Many immigrants who were high skilled persons (like doctors, nursers, engineers etc) can be found working at McDonald resturants or some cleaning places. Even if they get job relevant to their education, they most often get underpaid.
By hiring a porter, the person is doing a great virtue by providing honest means of livelyhood for the porter, provided the porter gets reasonably paid (which does not have to be by the western standard). If all the tourists start carrying their own backpack, think about how many people working as the porters will lose their livelyhood. In most cases, these porters are not well educated and not skilled to do other works which will give them some earnings. In absence of all the possible means of earnings, they may resort to begging or petty crimes even.
Therefore, if saving the money is not a big concern for the tourist, by all means, a porter should be hired, especially if some porter is willing to do it.
Let the porter share your load, in return, share his economic burden.
Raju Tuladhar ([email protected])
Keywords: Guides & porters, Polemic
From: Frank F Kroger <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.04.22 | (Id.: 59) |
In general one should not expect/exploit a GUIDE by having him/her carry your stuff.
As has been mentioned in this thread a lot of guides start their careers as young porters and become guides when they get a little older and have learned some foreign language. A guide can feel insulted if treated as a porter.
Conversely, do not expect/exploit a porter to serve as a guide, without PAYING for that service.
I have trekked with a guide who did not carry my stuff except in special circumstances such as when I was effected by high altitude, and I could hardly carry on.
If you do expect your guide to carry for you be sure to make that clear beforehand and to PAY for that level of service.
For people who would like to contribute to the general upliftment of Nepal after having enjoyed a stay in NP, during which lodging is acquired for pennies, and porters and guides have worked for you for dollars per day, I would suggest making a contribution to an organization such as World Neigbors (see below.) rather than giving money to individuals. Giving to individuals may disturb the local economy, expectations and self worth of the recipients. Giving to an organization avoids creating such disturbance and guarantees that your money is put to a good use, also US taxpayers making such contributions can make them as TAX-deductable contribs.
Frank
*Frank Kroger, [email protected], (volunteer) Seattle WA US
** World Neighbors: Strengthening the capacity of
*** marginalized communities to meet their basic needs.
**** "LOCAL PEOPLE ARE THE EXPERTS"
http://www.halcyon.com/fkroger/wn.html
Keywords: Guides & porters, Polemic
From: Peter Malling <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.04.23 | (Id.: 60) |
> But much of these feelings stem from the fact that porters are
>cheap by western standards, for the work they do, and this makes
>us(westerners) feel we are exploiting them. I don't know to what extent
>you can say that they chose to do the work they do, and I have no idea how
>they feel about it.
Being a porter for trekkers in Nepal is a real good job. Compared to porters who carry for locals (or for themselves) the load is far less and the salary is many times higher than what even well educated people in Kathmandu earn. Furthermore, some porters use the opportunity and eventually advance to trekking guides. Actually, you _could_ consider it egoistic _not_ to use porters as a tourist in Nepal. Anyhow, I feel exactly the same way as you: I would also feel weird to have somebody carry my stuff. I guess it is our western , romantic attitude: We want to do the thing ourselves, fight us up the way in the Himalayas :-)
-
Keywords: Guides & porters, Polemic
From: Per Löwdin <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.04.23 | (Id.: 61) |
>Let us be clear to make a distinction between PORTER and GUIDE.
Yes: the Nepalese make the same distinction, a porter is a "kuli" a guide a "sardar" A second distinction that is useful is between tea-house trekking and more adventurous trekks in areas without "battis", without infrastructure to cater to tourists.
Tea-house trekks, for which You do not need guides, provided You are literate enough to read any standard guide books, are: Namche Bazar including various detours (Goraksheep Everest base camp, Gokyo, etc), Langtang and Gossaikund, Helambu, Annapurna circuit, and Annapurna base camp). On these trekks everything one needs is available, and the paths are teeming with other trekers to the extent that some tourists find it disappointing. These trekks have all been open for trekers since the mid-sixties, although Manang was closed for a few years. The people who live along these routes earn their living from tourists and you do not really need more than a tooth brush, a change of clothes, good shoes, and a warm jacket. There is no absolute NEED for porters or a guide on these routes.
The second category of trekks is more demanding. These trekks are crossing Ganja La (between Langtang and Helambu), circling Dhaulagiri, Far Western Nepal, going around Manaslu, Rolwalling etc. On these trekks there is little infrastructure, few if any hotels, food availability is sometimes dependent on season (some seasons You will only get potato etc). Here guides and porters make life a lot easier: in some places they are necessary, unless you are very adept at both carrying heavy loads and finding the correct route where there is no paths or millions of small cattle paths, etc. If You do not speak nepali I think a strong argument can be made that there is a NEED to bring porters or a guide, to find the way and to have sufficient food.
Spending money on having people carry for You is not the only way to contribute to the local economy. In fact if You carry everything in that You need You do not contribute at all. Shops, restaurants and hotels all along the way depend on Your money. Today, places as Namche bazaar or Tato Pani are as dependent on what the tourists spend as S:t Moritz, Zermatt or Chamonix. On the tea house trekks there are many places where it is worthwhile to stay for some time and spend, watch village life, do excursions, etc.
I have never trekked with porters a whole route, though sometimes we have hired porters when we have wanted to get on fast, or have been sick or exhausted. But from what I understand it is extremely important that You find reliable people if You set it up in Kathmandu. Get references, check their equipment carefully, make sure You can communicate at all, and preferably that You get along. As is obvious in this thread some people have had wonderful trekking partners and made life long friends. There are, however, also reports of porters disappearing with gear and even passport and money.
Per If You go with porters after all You should take good care that they are properly equipped for the Thorung La. It is not a difficult pass in normal conditions. But it is very high 5400 meters, and there will be some snow. The porters need good shoes, down jackets, etc. Sardars in Kathmandu will have the proper gear. But the poor guys who do the portering do not. I have met Germans taking up porters without shoes on Thorung La. It was snowing! Disgusting exploitation of poor people.
Final advice: make sure You are really light weight and walk on your own. You will have a splendid time.
Keywords: Guides & porters, Polemic
From: Scott Yost <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.04.30 | (Id.: 62) |
>I do not even have the desire to use porters. I guess its a self
>relience thing for me. ... I guess its a wilderness philosophie of bring
>what you want, but you gotta carry it. Somehow it seems like cheating to me. I guess my desire to go
>I guess it has a feeling of slavery, wielding my economic good
>fortune, in order to get somone to carry my stuff....
I've responded before, but I think it's worth a followup. I also normally backpack alone, and went to Nepal without plans of hiring a guide or porter, but ended up hiring a guide/porter mostly for the cultural experience. It really does feel wierd, for a westerner, to hire someone to carry things for you. I must admit that it took me some time to get used to this. But remember that it looks very different from a Nepalese point of view. Carrying your own pack doesn't look self-reliant, but only selfish. The porters know you're rich, and wonder why you don't want to share anything. Only other tourists will be impressed.
>It would be nice to talk to a porter, or someone culturuly familar with them.
Yes - hire a guide or porter, and get to know him. Then you will understand how he feels. I remember on the last day of my Everest trek, that two Germans who were just starting out passed me while I was sitting in a courtyard and congratulated me for being one of the few people they saw with a full pack. I didn't bother telling them that it was only half full, and my guide had gone ahead to Lukla with the rest of it to try to get me on a flight the next morning. They had no idea what they were missing, and probably still don't know. The experience of having a guide/porter may be good or bad, or sometimes both, but it is one you will learn a lot from. Hiring my guide/porter Lal was the best thing I did in Nepal. We still exchange letters frequently, and I am proud that he is my friend.
--
Scott A. Yost | WWW: http://enigma.phys.utk.edu/~syost/Department of Physics & Astronomy | Featuring "A Visit to Nepal", including
University of Tennessee, Knoxville | detailed journal, photographs and maps.
Keywords: Guides & porters
From: Burns G. Coutts <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.10.16 | (Id.: 178) |
>>Also, from a personal standpoint I would like to get by without a porter, if
>>possible... I like to be as self-reliant as possible, and worry that a bad
>>porter experience would be far worse than no porter at all... are porters
>>necessary? How many of you used porters?
> If you pack light (12-15 kg max) going without a porter is best. Having a small
> group (2-4 persons), a guide and porters (1 porter for 2 "Memebers") is the
> second best way of doing it. Some guides are really a joy to have as company.
I have had the opportunity to visit Nepal twice with my girlfriend. Our first trip we did the Annapurna Sanctuary trek, our second visit we did the Annapurna Circuit. Each time we hired a guide/porter and were rewarded with a much more enjoyable trip than we probably would have had otherwise. I believe that you should strongly consider hiring at least one guide/porter (as we did, the person doubles as both) for several reasons:
1. First of all, you're on a holiday, so treat yourself a little. Hiring a guide/porter cost us a mere $5/day, plus food (usually they prefer to eat dahl bhat, which is always the cheapest thing on the menu and 'all-you-can-eat'). Their accomodations are generally covered in the cost of any room that you take in a teahouse (they often sleep with colleagues whose patrons are staying at the same teahouse). You may also choose to treat your guide to the odd chai, Coke or Miranda when you stop for the same during the day, and a nominal gift at the end of the trip will obviously be appreciated. Your guide will entertain you with songs as you walk, interesting conversation, translation with locals who don't speak your language (permitting you to have a much more culturally interesting trip). Most importantly, he will carry your baggage for you, permitting you to spend your trip walking with your head up, looking around at the mind-shattering vistas which will surround you rather than huffing and puffing while staring at your feet.
2. As you are no doubt already aware, Nepal is among the poorest countries on this Earth (that's why life is so cheap for Western tourists there). Nepalis know how much it has cost for you to fly to their country. Support the local economy and hire a guide/porter once you have arrived at your trailhead. These people have welcomed you into their country (some might argue at great expense to their culture) and should at least reap an economic reward (while it is a very minimal reward from a Western perspective, $5/day represents a significant wage for your average Nepali).
If you do choose to hire someone, please ensure that they have adequate warm clothing for inclement weather.
--
B. Coutts
Keywords: Guides & porters
From: Andasu <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.10.16 | (Id.: 180) |
Yes, a porter-assisted crossing is not the most rugged, self-reliant thing to do. But on the other hand, it improves some people's chances of crossing the pass and actually enjoying it. Especially if not everyone in your group hikes/climbs to the same ability.
Re: western squeamishness about paying someone else to carry your stuff.
We went in feeling that this ``wasn't quite right.'' That feeling, for us at least, didn't totally go away -- but it got redefined a lot by watching what ``normal work'' consists of in Nepali villages. People stoically take on really tough tasks, day after day, to eke out a living. Carrying a Westerners' pack or two is pretty easy work in comparison, for pretty good money.
Anyway, do whatever makes sense for you.
Keywords: Guides & porters
From: Manny Freitas <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.10.21 | (Id.: 209) |
: Re: >B. Coutts [email protected]
: A very good post, Burns, I totally agree. I find it strange that westeners
: try to play poor after flying to Nepal and spending already a local
: fortune in air tickets. (OK, maybe some really use their last money to get
: there). There is really nothing to be ashamed of to have someone to carry
: your things, every Nepalese wealthy enough has someone else to carry
: his/her things. That just is the way things are over there.
: This doesn't mean a trekker MUST have a porter. I have trekked in Nepal
: for a total of 3 months, always with a porter/s and guide, arranged by
: myself. Next time for a normal trek (no climbing) I would propably not get
: a porter, as I know my way around pretty good. But for a first timer I
: recommed a porter/guide.
It has nothing to do with shame. For me, it's more a question of personal preference. I like the physical activity of hiking as high as 18,000 feet and still carry my own stuff.
Besides that, believe me, it's not playing poor. You try to spend 6 months in Southeast Asia on a $1,500 budget, and then tell me if $5/day don't make a difference. All I know is that 2 years later I was still paying for it :-) But every single penny I spent on it was worth it.
Keywords: Guides & porters
From: Per Löwdin <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.10.22 | (Id.: 199) |
> : for a total of 3 months, always with a porter/s and guide, arranged by
> : myself. Next time for a normal trek (no climbing) I would propably not get
> : a porter, as I know my way around pretty good. But for a first timer I
> : recommed a porter/guide.
I do not agree. It depends entirely on where one is trekking. There is little point in bringing a guide for such trekks as Khumbu, Langtang and Annapurna. A porter is more adequate for those who do not mind having someone else carrying their stuff. But on the other hand one does not really need a lot that is not available en route.
Keywords: Guides & porters
From: Per Löwdin <[email protected]>
| Date: 96.10.25 | (Id.: 201) |
> Petri Kaipiainen ([email protected]) says>
> >>Also, from a personal standpoint I would like to get by without a porter, if
> >>possible... I like to be as self-reliant as possible, and worry that a bad
> >>porter experience would be far worse than no porter at all... are porters
> >>necessary? How many of you used porters?
> >
> > If you pack light (12-15 kg max) going without a porter is best. Having a small
> > group (2-4 persons), a guide and porters (1 porter for 2 "Memebers") is the
> > second best way of doing it. Some guides are really a joy to have as company.
Petri is right: the best is to have a light pack. The trekks around Annapurna are easy to do without porters.
> If you do choose to hire someone, please ensure that they have adequate
> warm clothing for inclement weather.
This is a very good point. Once when I came down from the Thorung La in light snow fall I met some germans heading up fast with their Sherpa sardar to strike a high camp a little lower I met their bare foot porters.
Disgusting!
If You hire porters for Your trekk it may be a good idea to do something that is difficult to do without porters or guides. Head into western Nepal, cross the Namun Bhayang or something like that. And be careful with whom You recruit. This summer we were in Thak Khola (Upper Kali Gandaki Valley) and some of the guides-cum-porters some tourists had seem to know little more about the area than the tourists they were supposed to guide.
Per
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© J. Mário Pires, 4 Mar 97
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