Responsible Trekking

When you are planning a trek in Nepal, you should realize that Nepal is( still) one of the poorest countries in the world. That means that lots of workers are unemployed or, if they have jobs, big companies can easily exploit them by hardly giving them rights and proper wages. Also, people so desperately looking for income, can agree working for almost nothing to have at least food and cover for a few days!

Not many countries in the world have the beautiful Himalayas with their culture in their garden: because of the treasure especially the tourist industry can and will raise the living standard of the Nepali people!

Since the last decades making treks in the Himalaya is getting more and more popular in the western world, there is and will be a bigger need for guides and porters to take care in all aspects of the inexperienced tourists, not in the last place for their safety!

Due to that developing process, there was a growing need for centralization of all the needs, rights and education for the guides and porters working in the field.

The trade- union Unitrave is in a very broad sense taking care of all the important items for guides, porters and treks and provides a social net for them. When you hire licensed guides porters, who are members of the Unitrav, you are certain to get full responsible, educated guides/ porters to accompany you. They will be insured and don’t carry too much load on their backs, so they will not have a worn out back after a few years. Besides that the country becomes much more alive for you with all the information of the background of Nepal, provided to you by your guide and porters.

Here Some Advice:

1. Hire licensed guides and porters in Nepal itself then you contribute to the local economy: if you do that in your own country, most of the money going to the ( overhead of) the companies and you have no influencer on what kind of guides/ porters you get, probably the people with the lowest wages, not insured etc.

2. Don’t feel uneasy someone carrying your backpack: for them it’s their work, not as heavy as for you; besides that they are so glad to have and get a job, that you’re also contributing to their welfare. And… you will have more breath to enjoy your trek!

3. The Himalayas have their tricks as well: for your safety you will be grateful to have a guide with you to know where avalanches can come down or to know where the trail is when there is suddenly heavily snowfall!