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Have you
ever tried to get something like this folding stretcher -
on a long haul flight …as hand luggage? Well I have!
 All
trekkers going into the Everest region follow the trail north
from Namche Bazaar. From there the trail divides with one
route going direct to Kala Pattar, [5,545m] and Everest Base
Camp and the other route to Goyko Ri, [5,483m] and the Cho
La pass [5,420m]. A rescue post serves the first route, and
there is a rudimentary porter shelter. The second route has
no shelter or rescue facility at all.
By the
time the trekker has reached 4500 metres at Lobuche or Machhermo
on these two routes they are well into the oxygen thin atmosphere
that can cause Acute Mountain Sickness, (AMS).
 During
the height of the trekking season there can be as many as
900 porters in the vicinity of Lobuche (route one) or Machhermo
(route two). Porters are in the area for 24 - 36 hours while
the trekkers ascend either viewpoint before heading back down
to Namche Bazar. On the Gokyo route many of these porters
spend the night in caves above Machhermo.
Most trekking
companies are reputable and look after their porters, providing
wind shell, food and shelter above the tree line. But there
are some that put profit before their porters and each year
for the last 10 years I estimate that on average 3 or 4 porters
die from AMS or cold in miserable circumstances up in the
Gokyo valley.
It is
not difficult to imagine the impact a porter’s death has on
their family in a country with no social safety net. Women
and children are left to fend for themselves, especially if
the dead porter was not insured.
 CAN
and IPPG are working in partnership with the local Sherpa
Machhermo User Group to provide a shelter for porters and
to offer help to anyone in difficulty in the Gokyo Valley.
The Porter Shelter & Rescue Post will operate under the watchful
eye of the Buffer Zone (Kumbila). Land has been donated by
the Sagarmatha National Park and ground preparation will begin
in the early Spring 2004.
The project
will be run under CAN and IPPG’s ‘self help’ policy. Although
CAN will take responsibility for the construction of the building
using a local work force IPPG will take on the responsibility
for the yearly running costs. During the initial building
stages porters will be involved in carrying up some of the
building material and other equipment. At present we are working
with Ben Ayres and Porter Progress to develop porter ownership
of this project and as the project progresses the porters
and local people will take on increasing responsibilities
for its practical up keep and development.
 Equipment
has already started to be accumulated in a temporary home
at Namgyal Lodge. The mountain rescue stretcher I accompanied
up there last December was donated by the Northern Cave Rescue
group at Clapham, N Yorkshire. During that visit basic instruction
was given in stretcher use and causality evacuation. Several
meetings were held with local groups and all expressed interest
and a positive response to the project.
Since
my return to the UK I have received a letter from the nearby
village of Dole in which the writer, Urken Sherpa as chairman
of his village committee expresses his support for the project
and offering any help that we might need.
As a Trustee
of CAN and the UK representative for the IPPG I have taken
on the role of liaison with the local Sherpas to expedite
construction of the Porter Shelter and Rescue Post.
Do you want to be part of the team?
If you enjoy the mountains and think that this is a worthwhile
project then please contribute. Make cheques payable to International
Porter Protection Group and send to:
The Machhermo
Project
c/o Ian Wall, IPPG/CAN
87 Birchwood Drive,
Ulverston,
Cumbria,
LA12 9NZ
For contributions
in countries other than the UK, contact your country rep or
contact Ian at uk@ippg.net.
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