Climbing season 2017: Wage rates for porters set at Rs930 per day

People hiring porters to also pay for porters’ insurance before trek starts

GILGIT: With the summer mountain climbing season just around the corner, the Islamabad Secretariat of the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) council has notified wages for high altitude porters in the region for 2017.

According to the announcement, wages for porters crossing passes over 4000 meters has been fixed at Rs930 per day, Moreover, the government has set Rs355 as wages for porters on their rest days as well.

“That’s good news,” said a tour operator Hidayat Khan about the new wages set for the upcoming climbing season.

“The financial support is a must to attract more people towards this job,” he said

The notification has also set other allowances such as a kit, high-pass crossing, daily wages, empty return, ration, and rest allowances.

Furthermore, it said that those hiring services of porters shall pay daily wages to them from the day of their engagement, rather than when the journey commences. Moreover, the government has bound clients to pay for porters’ insurance before the start of the expedition.

Moreover, porters have been restricted from carrying loads weighing more than 25 kilogrammes, the notification read. Porters often carry loads much heavier than the government allowed limit for a little extra cash.

G-B is home to five of the “eight-thousanders” including K-2 (second highest peak in the world), Broad Peak, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II. It also plays host to around 50 peaks over 7,000 metres (23,000 ft.).

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2017.