FITs and Guides
Points to be considered when hiring a freelance trekking guide to ensure you are getting a good and experienced guide as opposed to maybe a person not qualified to operate as a guide...
The recent events of missing trekkers in Nepal has again raised the question of 'compulsory' guides. I for one would be horrified if this situation (threat) became a reality but solo or unaccompanied trekkers must have the experience and ability to read big mountain situations, if not they are likely to come unstuck if things go wrong.
Trekkers legally require TIMS permits for certain areas and Park/Conservation permits. So.if a trekking agency issues these then that trekking agency is deemed liable and responsible for those foreign trekkers, How can a trekking agency be responsible if it does not have a representative (guide) with those 'clients? This is another discussion maybe for later.
Some pointers for hiring a freelance trekking guide
1 - All trekking guides are legally bound to hold a trekking guide licence issued by NATHM- Does your guide have one, ask to see it
2 - Check on the guide's experience, maybe check out references with agencies he/she has worked for, contacts should be provided if you request them
3 - Has your guide kept his/her qualifications up to date with refresher courses in First Aid, Navigation, leadership skills, language skills (English, French Japanese..all courses are available)
4 - Has your guide enhanced their basic qualifications with the Nepal Mountaineering Association, Mountain Academy, Kathmandu Environmental Education Project courses, Rock Climbing, First Aid course etc - Ask them for details
5 - Does your guide have regular employment, what treks has he/she guided over the previous 12 months
6 - Has your guide worked in the area you propose trekking in - although a good guide should have the trekking guide skills and ability to enable him/her to make sound decisions in new areas to them a previous visit and clear knowledge of the area will only enhance your, the clients, experience
7 - Experience and quality does not come cheap be prepared to pay for a good guide, and be prepared to offer a good tip at the end of the trek if you consider you have indeed had value for money... if you pay only a low rate you will get at best mediocre service
8 - You must insure your guide, a regulated trekking agency will have their guides insured for every trek they undertake
9 - Don't over load your staff ..typically a porter will carry for two people providing the individual cargo weight is around 10 kg..of course if you are taking a domestic flight that is the cargo allowance (plus 5 kg for hand luggage)
10 - Finally guides despite being Nepali are still only human - you must ensure they have the right equipment for the trek you want them to lead, also it's your responsibility to ensure they have food and accommodation along the way.They too may get sick or suffer from the cold...you look after them and they will look after you!
Remember if you get ill it will be your guide who will have to sort things out for you..make sure you can understand each other!
If a guide is not working..he is not earning to provide for his family.
The FITs and Agents
Every year hundreds if not thousands of FITs descend on Kathmandu either as part of a round the world package, seeking travel adventures or just spending time out from what for many would otherwise be a mundane way of life.
Once in Thamel, the tourist heart land of Kathmandu these FITs are persistently pestered by street traders enquiring as to whether ‘You want to go trekking?’ (Representing ‘genuine’ agencies or not)
The aim of this short piece is to offer guidance along with the previous posting on choosing a freelance trekking guide to help people (FITs) recognize what they might be taking on.
If you type Everest Base Camp Trek into any search engine you will get hundreds of sites and accompanying email address offering services, in a largely unregulated industry how do you know what sort of standard or legal status these ‘outfits’ are operating to. Over the last decade or so things have tightening up and individuals and groups are getting caught out by the law. However, this does not stop the sharp trader from seeking out an opportunity to make a fast buck ... or several.
As I mentioned above the trekking industry is largely unregulated and lacks robust monitoring. Not all trekking agencies are required to be registered with the national association, the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal, not all Nepalese staff, porters and guides are insured and paid according to Union rates, but guides must have a trekking guide license to operate as guides within the industry. Not all trekking areas require TIMS depending on the trek location, however all National Parks or Conservation Areas require permits and in some cases Restricted Area permits. Trekking Peaks also have associated policies for allowing foreign climbers to climb these mountains. Some peaks are exempt Permit Fees (ie they are free) but that does not mean to say a permit is not required to climb them, you just might not need to pay for it. Not all perks are open for climbing expeditions.
So in general the whole scenario is rather complicated. But as responsible trekkers you should ensure that you meet the appropriate legal administration requirements for your trek and that the agency you choose is committed to guide and porter welfare and fare pay and working conditions.
When intending to book up for a trek or trekking peak with an agent always: -
1. Ask to visit the office, by law all the relevant certificates should be clearly displayed, if they are not ask to see them
2. Check that you will be supplied with all the relevant permits, also make independent checks as to which permits you will be required to have
3. Check that your Nepalese staff have the appropriate qualifications and licenses
4. Check to see if your Nepalese staff are appropriately paid and have insurance
5. Check to see if the agency will provide the staff with accommodation and food during your trek, will you have to provide it or will the staff have to cover the cost out of their wages.
6. In certain high-profile areas basic Nepalese food is very expensive for the staff and could make a huge whole in their wages – take care that they are eating sufficiently.
7. Check that your Nepalese staff will have appropriate shell/warm clothing and foot wear. If not this can be hired from KEEP
8. Check that the cost of transport to the start of the trek and return will be covered for the staff, do they have an allowance for the journey?
9. Check social media for any information related to your intended agency
10. Check on credentials with either the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal and/or Kathmandu Environmental Education Project as to the standard operated by your chosen agency if you are at all concerned.
Finally be sure to choose a trekking agency that respects the local culture and communities, follows eco tourism guidelines and conservation ethics and is committed to the development of sustainable tourism.
Although the agency you decide to go for might well be offering you a trek at what you consider to be a rate far less than otherwise quoted ask how and where the agent makes these savings. Most FITs feel that some agents are over-charging clients BUT it might just be that they are under paying staff!!
Something for FITs to keep in mind
Every season in Nepal sadly trekkers disappear without trace, I have just written two short pieces giving guidance, and my opinion, on how Foreign Individual Travelers (FITs) could go about choosing a guide and/or a trekking agency if that is the way they want to go.
However, there are many who don’t want to employ either an agent or guide. In practice employing a guide and/or a porter directly is the best way to financially support the hill people of the country and their extended families.
Some would say..’Carry your own load’ but it must be remembered that, historically, there were very few roads in the hill districts and since time began these hill dwellers have had no other method of transporting goods into and out of their villages other than by carrying them themselves. Being a porter is their livelihood and the way they earn an income to keep body, soul and family together.
Employing someone to carry your load and guide you along the way will certainly add to the Nepal experience. The only issues that could be applied to a situation of taking advantage is to expect the porter to carry too much and to pay them too little .. and to not provide those benefits that we would expect in our own lives.. food, accommodation, protective clothing, personal accident insurance etc. All these points I have covered in the previous postings.
But FITs must take individual responsibility for their actions, they must be physically up to the challenges they set themselves and technically prepared for the conditions and situations that the mountains and their route might throw at them. It is all about the ‘What if’ question and risk assessment.
Doing your own risk assessment might seem challenging but it can easily be broken down into manageable chunks especially now with all the information available on the internet.
So what is a RISK ASSESSMENT? Everyone has expectations as to what they want out of life.. and a trek is no different. Completing a RISK ASSESSMENT is actually looking at those expectations and working out what could happen or go wrong that would prevent them being achieved.
Chunk 1 – study the route in detail and identify where the technical, high, long, exposed sections might be.
Chunk 2 – study the route’s locality, what is the adjacent landscape like. Are there risks of stone fall, avalanche, losing the trail, flooded rivers, river-crossings, broken or missing bridges or even a lack of accommodation if you are undertaking a lodge based trek
Chunk 3 – Study the prevailing weather patterns, in these times of climate change the weather is very un-predictable, heavy rains, snow, extended strong sunny periods, strong winds.. all could bring your trek to an early conclusion
Chunk 4 – study your own physical condition and health status
Chunk 5 – do a proper check of your equipment and source what you are likely to need before going on trek.
Chunk 6 – and this is the crunch issue… WHAT IF? What if something unexpected occurred, how would you deal with it, do you have the skills and equipment to deal with it and could you manage an emergency situation. What would be the worst case scenario? Identifying a problem before it becomes a problem and thinking strategies through would very much enhance the chance of survival in an emergency.
No one will ever be 100% safe in the mountain environment and as a famous explorer once said ‘a good adventure is the outcome of a bad risk assessment’. We all have our own comfort zones, for some it might be in the hardest or highest peaks in the world for others it might just be out of sight of habitation, crossing that thin red line could make or break an expectation in a big way.
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