Hiring A Porter During A Trek In Nepal

Depending on the time of the year, amount of money and time you spend, you can go in for number of trekking trips when in Nepal. For limited money and time, the best routes that you can follow on your trekking are- the Langtang-Helambu trek north of Kathmandu as well as parts of northern Pokhara (around the Annapurna circuit or Base camps). If you have enough time at your hand, then you can go in for trekking in the Everest area or may be in the Annapurna area. If you are an adventurous person then you can go in for the Kanchanjunga.

When it comes to trekking there are two options at your hand- hire a porter or guide or trek alone. Safety wise, it would be best to trek alone on the famous trekking routes. Incidents engaging trekkers do take place on an occasional basis. However, it would be best to team up. Why is say so is because teaming up is of immense help if you are in need of some medical help. During the peak tourists’ season, you are bound to find trekkers who don’t mind signing up with you. In addition to this, you will also find porters in the chief tourist regions of Pokhara and Kathmandu from where you can choose your trekking partners. You can also hire a trek porter with you.

Porters usually converse in English and carry gear. Even if you join hands with a guide, don’t forget to hire a porter. Make sure that the porter you choose has adequate protection from adverse weather conditions as they earn less when compared to guiders and hence don’t have enough money in their hands to spend on clothing.

Hiring a porter can add to your trek experience in Nepal, particularly if you have just stepped into this trekking venture or if you are carrying along with you heavy loads like food, tents etc. if you hire the services of an independent porter then you may have to pay about $2 to $3 dollars in a day. Make sure that you are ok with the wage prior to appointing a porter. You can also seek help from a travel agency or your hotelier so as to help you find a porter. You will also find them in bigger settlements together with your trekking routes. If you determine to hire a porter keep in mind that you are their owner and you need to take their complete responsibility. You need to see to it that they have good clothes as well as other stuffs needed for your trekking. If they don’t have the gear then you need to rent the same on your part. In addition to this, you need to also take care of their medical requirements in case they fall sick at the time of trekking. Keep in mind that most of the porters who are hired in the lower lands of Pokhara and Kathmandu may not be familiar with the trekking in high altitudes.

Keep in mind these essentials and come up with the best porter ever.

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