Picture yourself carrying 80 lbs up a mountain in freezing temperatures with nothing but a sweat shirt and light tennis shoes. Picture yourself being injured at an altitude of 18,000 feet with no one to help you down to the bottom where assistance waits. Picture yourself as a porter in Nepal.

Kul Bahadur Rai, formerly a porter working in the Everest region, was paid one day’s wage and sent down alone when he began suffering from severe altitude sickness. He was found in a state of collapse and brought to the Pheriche Aid Post, where he spent nine days in a coma, and had both feet partially amputated due to frostbite. As a result of this amputation, he is unable to return to portering.

With the generous support of several individuals and organizations like HEC, Kul has been able to pay off his medical bills. Additionally, he has been able to move his wife and daughters to Kathmandu, thus reuniting his family as he was unable to trek home to visit with them as a result of his amputation. Kul is participating in a vocational training program in order to learn new skills and has been able to save money in order to open up his own business once he has completed his training.

Kul’s story is not uncommon however in most cases, porters do not receive such strong emotional and financial support. If you are interested in learning more about HEC’s Porter Assistance Project and ways you can help, please contact us at info@mountainexplorers.org