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Ethical policy
Our policy with porters
Having worked closely with the Kilimanjaro Porters Association Project (KPAP) when compiling the third edition of the book, many of their recommendations regarding the treatment of TK’s mountain staff have been adopted.
The policies include:
- Making sure each porter is properly equipped with decent footwear and warm clothing before agreeing to hire them; those who lack items of clothing are sent to the KPAP office in Moshi, where they can borrow fleeces, boots etc without charge. An inspection of each porter and his clothing is done on the morning of the climb.
- Making sure the porters are well fed and watered for the duration of the trek
- Ensuring that each porter is issued with no more than the maximum 20kg (plus 5kg of personal items)
- Paying the crew a fair (KPAP recommended) wage; indeed, if you book your climb through
us then you can be sure that your mountain crew are paid more than if you had booked
directly through TK -
even though you have paid less for your climb! - Making sure sick or injured porters are evacuated from the mountain immediately, and given the same level of care as trekkers.
- Making sure that the number of porters you start with is the same as the number at
the end (except where illness or injury necessitates that a porter return to Arusha
for medical treatment), ie no porters are sent down early. This is done so that no
other porters end up being overloaded with that porter’s baggage, and so that each
porter gets the wages and tips he deserves -
which often doesn’t happen if the porter is sent home early. - Ensuring that the tips are distributed fairly at the end of the trek.
- Encouraging each trekker to get to know their crew. Some porters speak English and
will appreciate your efforts to speak with them. The words pole (pronounced ‘polay’)
-
which translates loosely as ‘I’m sorry for you’ - Ahsante means ‘thank you’.shows respect for porters after a hard day of carrying your bags.
The policy on looking after the mountain
- Gas is used rather than using firewood taken from the mountain
- All rubbish is picked up and carried by your crew, then taken off the mountain, rather than deposited at campsites or strewn around the slopes
- Where possible, many of your crew look to pick up any litter thet they come across along the way – whether it’s your party’s or not
- The aim of your mountain crew is to leave every campsite and trail as clean -
and hopefully cleaner - than when you arrived. - Apart from the first day, your water is, where possible, boiled, filtered or purified, thus reducing the number of plastic bottles on the mountain.
- It is the policy not to pick the flora nor disturb any fauna that is encountered by your party, but to leave everything for the next group to enjoy.