Porters leaving Manang, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal

Location: Manang on Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (28° 40' 0 N 84° 1' 0 E)
Date: 9 April 2000; 7.15am
Camera: Canon EOS 500N (analogue) on slides and scanned

Manang is a popular stop for acclimatisation on the Annapurna Circuit because at 3,540m, it is just high enough to allow the body to get used to higher attitude. It also has some spectacular scenery of giant peaks, a glacier lake and the Marshyangdi River flowing in the valley. On any day, one will see many porters leaving early in the morning carrying the packs of their clients. Peculiar to Nepal and Tibet, the porters find it easier to "carry" heavy packs by putting the weight on their forehead, by a naamlo (forehead carrying strap). Life as a porter is hard- they only earned a couple of $ per day; the lucky ones will get some tips from the trekking clients at the end of the trip. I have never used a porter on my trekking in Nepal but I observed that it is extremely easy to engage porters from the villages at the head of treks such as Annapurna and/or Khumbu. There is really no need to go through middlemen to engage porters on your behalf from Kathmandu or Pokhara; not only no need but not recommended as most of the money you pay will go to the middlemen instead of rewarding the porters directly.