Thread by @kamranonbike

“A Balti porter told me that even their mules carrying luggage to the basecamp have a better insurance than we do.”
3 times K2 summiter Fazal Ali who is taking part in #alisadpara rescue mission. #k2winterexpedition2021

A Thread.

Can you guess the insurance coverage amount for Pakistani High Altitude Porters (HAPs) who fix ropes and carry load to K2?

(in this picture Fazal Ali on K2 summit without supplemental oxygen and a downsuit)

Insurance coverage amount in case of death for Pakistani High Altitude Porters (HAPs) who fix ropes and carry load to K2?

Only 1,500 USD (2 Lakh PKR) insurance coverage amount for Pakistani High Altitude Porters in case of death. No coverage in case of injury or even permanent disability.

(in this picture, Imtiyaz Ali, who died in an Italian-Pak expedition in 2019)

This is Meherban Karim. His clients used to call him Karim The Dream. His peers say, “he was so strong on the mountain that he flew like a bird.”

On 1st August 2008, he successfully reached K2 summit with a French client, albeit too late.

(Karim, sitting third from left, in black jacket and pant)

By the time they started descending, it had already become dark. They got separated somewhere above the Bottleneck area. Meherban became exhausted and disoriented.

He bivouacked above the Bottleneck at over 8,200m altitude in -20°C temperature and somehow survived the night without supplemental oxygen.

The next morning, he got swept away by an avalanche or a falling serac. His body was never found.
His story: kamranonbike.com/karim-the-drea…

His family got how much?
Only 1,500 USD (2 Lakh PKR).
This isn't only Meherban Karim's story. This is the story of all Pakistani High Altitude Porters who are elite climbers.

I did an entire series on the stories on Pakistani High Altitude Porters and aspiring mountaineers. Do give it a read to educate yourself on the difficulties of these unsung heroes who have never been acknowledged.

kamranonbike.com/tag/shimshal/

#alisadpara

We have been also raising funds for the families of deceased porters and aspiring mountaineers.
gogetfunding.com/support-mounta…

So what happened to Meherban Karim's family after he perished on K2 after summiting it in 2008?

His family received a little support other than the insurance compensation of 200,000 PKR (1,250 USD). Nobody from the tour company, government, or the expedition helped them.

There are not a lot of ways of generating income in places like Shimshal. Meherban's widow runs a little shop “Karim General Store” that sells soaps, cooking oil, biscuits, and a few other items. Any guess how much does she earn a month?

She earns only only 2,000–3,000 Pakistani Rupees (12–18 USD) from the shop.

This amount is not her daily or weekly, but monthly profit.
“It is nothing, but it gives us some hope,” she said.

Their son Ibrar was only seven when his dad died. Now he wants to become a mountaineer.
His mother doesn’t approve such ideas. How can she?
“Ibrar is very much like his father. I used to beg Meherban as well to leave mountaineering,” she said.

Meherban's story is only of the many stories of high altitude porters of Pakistan who earn 3,000 - 5,000 PKR/day on extreme expeditions. They risk their lives because there are not many work opportunities in their areas.

Despite their heroic feats, their achievements go unnoticed. And their families receive no support after their only breadwinners are perished on the mountains.

The whole system needs to change to protect these mountaineers. For now, we have a fundraiser we started back in November when Ali Sadpara was with us in our project "Value of Life" to create support system for underprivileged mountaineers. Please donate:
gogetfunding.com/support-mounta…