Thank you Ben Ayers for your articles on porter welfare ('Carrying Nepal on their back&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;', 'Porters in distress', #165). We have just returned from a 10-day trek in the Everest region and were horrified at the size and weight of some porters' load.

At Dole campsite, I tried to find the leaders of one particular expedition to protest at the weight of the load (52kg) that one porter was carrying. Unsuccessful, I spoke to one of the 'clients', who made no comment and seemed totally indifferent to what I was saying. We later saw at least four other groups run by the same trekking company, with at least one of their porters, and yaks also, grossly overloaded. The latter were panting heavily and obviously in distress.

With this volume of tents, cooking equipment and other common baggage going up and down the trail, surely there could be a case made for more permanent sites to be set and maintained during the main trekking seasons. Centralised depots could be positioned at several points along the main routes and porters employed to run these as well as carry the less weighty load of trekkers. At the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park perhaps larger reminders about porter welfare could be more prominently displayed alongside other environmental advice.

Trekking clients should be made more aware of the situation. I am sure that the vast majority would be willing to pay the extra rupees necessary to hire more porters in order to spread their loads more humanely. Personally, I was unable to raise the 'pack' of one porter off the ground-one can only imagine the longterm effects on a person's back, neck, legs and general health from carrying these heavy loads.

One last thing, trekkers: get to know your porters and tip them personally-they make your holiday happen.

Helen Palmer
The British School