|
Equipment Resources With many trekking assignments being short term and tenuous in nature, most porters do not have the resources to provide the equipment and clothing needed to perform the tasks required of them. Although their training and heritage has adapted them to working in less than ideal conditions, some porters are required to make long journeys wearing inadequate clothing or footwear, which often causes acute pain, hypothermia, frostbite or other conditions that can cause disability or, in some cases, death. In November of 2008, WWEP’s Executive Director, Steve Mannshardt, was deep in the Himalayas on a high altitude pass crossing. He noticed the body of two porters, long dead from exposure and left by a previous expedition. Later, discussing the issue with the Nepali guide, Steve agreed that this treatment of porters was far beyond unacceptable. Before the end of the trek, the two men decided to team up and start a program to provide adequate clothing and shoes for porters and other members of future trekking teams. Shoes for Porters Across Nepal The tasks required of long distance trekking porters in Nepal often require them to carry 50-90% of their body weight in gear and supplies on their backs. Cargo porters have been seen carrying 300-350 pounds of lumber on their backs. Many porters perform their jobs through the mountains wearing lightweight tennis shoes, flip-flops or even in bare feet. WWEP has partnered with a local trekking outfitter to provide porters with adequate and sturdy shoes or boots to make long range trekking with heavy loads safer and more comfortable. Porters are loaned these shoes for the length of the trek, allowing them to negotiate the rocks, scree, snow and ice safely, thus greatly reducing the number of accidents and injuries. The porters at right are shown inspecting a map of the route of the next day's climb. Although the outfitter had provided adequate cold weather clothing, they are shown wearing the sandals in which they crossed the 19,000 foot pass. In the past 16 months, WWEP has provided 42 pairs of nearly new hiking boots to the porters in Nepal. | Purchase and deliver one pair of sturdy hiking shoes for use by a porter on a long distance trek in the mountains - $75 |
|  | | Porter Equipment Resources Porters in the high mountainous regions of Nepal often face challenging conditions in the course of their jobs. Although their culture has adapted them to the conditions of the region, porters on treks are often pushed to extreme limits for the sake of the comfort of their clients. Outfitters on high profile climbs into extreme locations may provide porters with everything that they need to perform. However, most companies cannot afford to provide additional gear to their porters who are often made to cross high mountain passes in nothing more than what we would call “street clothes”. If you or your employer has the ability to donate a substantial amount of new or gently used cold weather clothing, sleeping gear or other trekking supplies, please contact us directly about your in-kind donation potential.
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Thanks to a generous donation from the Durango Mountain Resort at Purgatory, Colorado, WWEP was able to help facilitate the delivery of over 100 gently used ski parkas to the porters in Nepal. |  |
General Expenses
Help us to ensure that donations get to the people who need them the most. All of the members of the WWEP team work on a volunteer basis, but there are basic costs such as banking and wire transfer fees, communication expenses, travel allowances and shipping costs that we need to keep the organization functioning.
|
