Porter Welfare

Apus Peru does not simply have a section on our website devoted to ‘porter welfare’, we have a whole section on our website which addresses our community projects. $15 of your trek price is devoted to these community projects. Our community projects operate in the same communities as the porters are from. For more information , please refer to our partner website,Threads Of Peru.

For us, ‘porter welfare’ is synonymous with our work in the communities. When we began to operate the Inca Trail, it was automatic to us that we go to the communities where we already worked, to look for porters.

We have over 45 porters signed up from the communities of Chaullacocha and Chupani, with a ‘porter chief’ elected from each village. Both these head porters are well respected in their own communities, and hold other posts, like President of the Parents Association for the school.

Simply by offering fair, reasonably paid employment we are changing the opportuntities for these men who live 4-5 hours walk from the major centres and can’t afford to travel to the ‘Valley’ on the off chance of work (leaving their families and responsibility behind). As we work on a rotational basis, we call ahead by radio so the porters know when they have work.

We pay annual personal accident insurance for our porters.

We ensure that porters have adequate clothing and shelter for work on the Inca Trail.

We abide by the porters law and send the correct amount of porters for the weights/ amount of clients in the group.

We respect their cultural norms and if they wish to work on the Inca Trail using ‘hojotas’ (their tyre sandals) and we will not make them wear shoes.

Many visitors to Peru, who hike on the Inca Trail, express a desire to eat and spend time with their porters. Quechua people are extremely shy, and apart from logistics (ie the cook and porters need to be preparing, cooking and serving dinner when you are eating) the majority of the porters would prefer to eat, joke and chat in their own group, and in their own language. Even the more outgoing are extremely shy and sitting down with a group of foreigners is not particularly comfortable for them.

Projects and capacitacion planned for porters:

Hygiene and cleanliness

Parenting (for fathers)

Muleteer and Mule Welfare

As Apus Peru works mostly on the Alternative treks, we work with a lot of muleteers. We choose Quechua speaking muleteers from remote villages, because we recognise their difficulties in finding paid work. We radio ahead, or use rural satellite phones to book our multeers.

We pay annual personal accident insurance for our muleteers and cooks. .

The depart from their homes to travel to the trailhead usually 2-3 days prior to your departure date. This is why we ask for you to book at a minimum one week before your trip, because if you don't book at least this far in advance, we find it difficult to communicate with them and give them work.

They are paid for workers and per mule, and above the going rates. A tip is not necessary as they are paid well by Peruvian standards, but if you wish to congratulate them on a job well done, then a tip is of course welcome. We also encourage them to feed their mules very well and take care of them. Positive reinforcement is appreciated. (ie if a mule looks healthy and happy, please say so)

We respect their cultural norms and if they wish to work on the using ‘hojotas’ (their tyre sandals) and we will not make them wear shoes. (we have received "incensed" client's reports questioning whether we pay our staff properly, because their muleteers wear hojotas). While we respect the cultural norm, we have also recently tried to educate of the value of wearing good supporting trekking boots, as opposed to something like flimsy tennis shoes.

Many of our clients have expressed a desire to eat and spend time with their muleteers. Quechua people are extremely shy, and apart from logistics (ie the cook and muleteers need to be preparing, cooking and serving dinner when you are eating) the majority of the muleteers would prefer to eat, joke and chat in their own group, and in their own language. Even the more outgoing are extremely shy and sitting down with a group of foreigners is not particularly comfortable for them.

Other clients have expressed a dislike for the obvious hierarchy that occurs on treks as a "god-like" guide barks orders at his trekking team, who run about preparing tents and meals for their white, supposedly wealthy clients. We dislike this social hierarchy intensely but it is an ingrained part of Peruvian society and though we do educate our staff about working in a more "team like" manner, it is a difficult thing to eradicate centuries of history since the conquest.

Upcoming