How do we support and protect our Guides and Porters?

Supporting each country’s local people and community is at the forefront of everything we do when we run these awesome adventures. This is why we think it's important to use local rather than western guides on all of our treks - you can check out our article about that here.

Our Guides and Porters are the backbone of EverTrek and we simply wouldn’t be where we are without them. We believe they have unbeatable knowledge of the mountains and ultimately are the best people to keep our EverTrekkers safe.

So, what do we do to support them?

During Covid

Covid was a very turbulent time for all of us and it certainly took its toll on the travel industry. We felt it was crucial to continue supporting our team in Nepal who rely solely on the seasonal influx of visitors looking to explore and appreciate their landscape. At the beginning of the pandemic we fundraised £3.5k, this was sent directly to our Guides and Porters, which made a huge difference to them and their families!

We also launched a ‘Jackets for Guides’ campaign which involved a limited edition EverTrek down jacket, this saw £6k raised by our awesome (and fashionable!) Evertrekkers. We had the jackets made locally in Nepal because we felt it was important to support other local Nepalese businesses where we could. All profits were donated to the Guides which meant they were able to support their families during such an unstable time.

In the UK, when Covid restrictions began to lift, and we were able to start exploring our local hot spots once again, places such as Nepal and Tanzania still remained unreachable by the rest of the world. With this in mind, our decision to launch another project was easy! And so, Strides for Guides was born. Evertrekkers walked 100k/m each throughout June 2021, raising over £10,000!

Protecting the welfare of our Guides and Porters

Nepal: We observe protocols and guidelines set by the International Porter's Protection Group. First and foremost, this means our Porters are paid fairly for the incredibly hard work they do. It also means they will always carry less than 30kg and are provided with suitable shoes, jackets and caps etc., which no other company does. Finally, and arguably most importantly, they are insured which means that should they need to be evacuated, hospitalised or require any medication - they are taken care of.

Tanzania: Whilst as a UK company we are not eligible to join the better known KPAP association, we are a proud member of the Mount Kilimanjaro Porters Society. Their objective is to stand up for the fair treatment and the decent working conditions for porters on Kilimanjaro. This means they are paid more than the set standard wages, are provided with 3 meals a day as well as provided with the equipment, water resistant clothing and gear for treks. Under these regulations it also means they will only carry between 15 and 20kg.

Upskilling Opportunities

We give our porters the opportunity to progress their career to eventually become a guide. This involves providing them with the resources to be able to complete First Aid and Leadership qualifications as well as getting plenty of first hand experience on the mountains.

Finally, we should probably add a thank you to our EverTrekkers, who all equally support our in-country teams! Everything from the enormous generosity during Covid fundraisers to booking trips with us, the understanding of culturally-expected tipping and even donating items of gear or snacks after the treks - we owe a lot to our EverTrekker community which allows us to continue supporting local communities and working with these fantastic people!