We couldn’t agree more with the thrust of this article, Hail the Porters of Kilimanjaro, from an Australian newspaper.

As the article says, “For every foreigner who climbs Kilimanjaro, at least three Tanzanians, and often many more, swarm up the volcanic slope like worker ants, 50-pound bags perched precariously on their heads and baggy shirts flopping over their skinny frames.”

Embark was founded on the slopes of Africa’s highest peak, and we continue to work with some of the best porters on the mountain.

It’s also true, as the article points out, that many porters aren’t paid livable wages, and they often have to pay for their own food on the way up, meaning they often barely eat anything while hauling backbreaking loads, and refuse to turn back down the mountain when they experience altitude sickness because they cannot afford to.

So it is with great pride that we at Embark are a part of the great Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project, the nonprofit that focuses on ensuring that porters make livable wages, are treated fairly, and that they actually receive the tips climbers try to give them.