Porters in Nepal, Africa and South America are still suffering exposure, frostbite and even death as a result of not being properly clothed for the high altitudes to which they climb. In order to feed themselves and their families, they take on the job of carrying heavy loads to high elevations without warm clothes and sometimes without shoes! Whether you are traveling as an individual or you are running an expedition company, the Porter Assistance Project needs your help to assist Porters internationally.

Aren't Porters Adjusted to the Cold and Altitude?
The majority of porters are not like the famous Sherpas who carry loads at altitude for foreign climbing expeditions - they are impoverished sustenance farmers who travel from lower elevations to trekking and expedition routes in search of work. Like trekkers and climbers, many porters suffer from altitude sickness, hypothermia, snow blindness, and frostbite. For example:

A porter was paid one days wage and sent down alone after suffering severe altitude sickness in the Everest region. He was found in a state of collapse and brought to the Pheriche Aid Post, spent nine days in a coma, and had both feet partially amputated due to frostbite. Click to see an image of another porter's frostbitten feet. Three porters, lacking proper clothing for a late season storm, died of hypothermia related causes when a powerful storm hit Mount Kilimanjaro in September 2002. One of the porters, suffering from the cold along the Machame camping route, decided to descend the mountain on his own. His body was later found at 12,630 feet, between the Shira and Baranco camps. Back to top of page

Kilimanjaro porter is stuck after his shoes fall apart.

How you can Help!
Donate Clothing for the Porters: please contact us if you can donate suitable clothing. Clean, good-condition footwear or clothing needed for porters. Synthetic/wool clothes only, no jeans or T-shirts please. In Peru we also have a need for sleeping bags and tents. We also need airplane-sized duffel bags for transporting the gear donation overseas.

For our clothing collection we need wool socks, hiking shoes, wool or warm hats (no baseball hats), gloves, sunglasses, water and wind resistant jackets and pants, and heavy weight fleece jackets and pants. We can use all sizes. Most porters have the gear they need at the lower altitudes, they have a need for the clothing at higher altitudes and colder weather. A good way to gauge: if you would wear it at high altitudes or in the colder areas to hike or trek, a porter would too. Clean gear only please, no cotton clothing or t-shirts.
For more details email info@hec.org.

Carry clothing to Nepal or Tanzania: The Porter project is always looking for people and companies who will carry clothing to Nepal and Africa, please contact us if you know anyone who can help. You will be met at the airport by a representative - and gain a ride to your hotel into the bargain.

Register your Company as a supporter of the Program: You are cordially invited to participate in the International Mountain Explorers Connection Porter Partnership Program. All companies participating in this partnership program will be posted on the IMEC Web site (we will link to your guidelines and policy statement). Additionally, participants will be listed in IMEC newsletters, and information provided to trekkers at local offices. Tour operators are also invited to promote their participation in IMEC Porter Partnership Program through the use of our logo and materials. While this program is in no way a certification program, tour operators are encouraged to join the IMEC and numerous other companies already involved in this effort to educate tourists and improve working conditions for porters.

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Download Porter Partnership Program Application (Word 2002 document).

For more details see our Partnership page and our Partnership Goals page.

Contact information for Proper Porter Wages and Weights.