These people are absolute beasts. We tipped our guys like $500, probably like 3x the recommended amount at the time because of how incredible they were. But yeah, only take trips with companies that are part of th porters union that agree to minimum pay and standards.

You realize you paid him about a months worth of income?

That including tips?

Yes, they were fantastic and there were two of us. I have no regrets about it and they deserved it.

Fair enough - seems like it was well warranted.

Those sherpas are damn near super human. When it comes to high altitude mountain climbing there’s basically two sets of records, the actual records that are normally always set by sherpas (except maybe things like speed ascents) and the records for everyone else. I think the record for most Everest summits is like 14, there are sherpas who have done up to like 26 or 27

And…..

Similar to ours when we ran the Inca trail. Legally they had to have full provisions for the 4 day trek. But it was a single day race barring injury or illness. And they also had to do it in a single day fully loaded. Although they started a camp ahead and two hours earlier...effing wow. Had a huge party in AG afterwards and we tipped a lot

I would hate to be the person that came along after OP and tipped the recommended rate... the porters would probably give me the stink eye.

I did it in two tranches for that reason and did the second one in private where as the first part I paid with everyone else at the standard rate.

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Nah. That’s not how tipping works

I climbed it as a ten year old kid in 1970 when I lived in Uganda. Back then it had snow on it. It was always a surreal experience to be on the Kenyan plains in 90 plus heat and look over to Kilimanjaro and see snow .

On another note. Sherpa from the himalayas are brought to norway to carry and build stone steps etc. on hiking routes. They usually work through the summerseason and earn wages equal to 20-30 yearly wages.

Unless they only work half an hour daily, 10$ would be way too little

That's a really good earnings for Tanzania though. Average wage is like $5/day.

If I was a tourist climbing Mt kilamanjaro I would pay the porters 11 dollars out of the generosity of my heart.

Americans are the worst!

Still better than them not getting paid.