Story Of Nepal’s Mountain Porters

Nepal takes pride in the Himalayan region for one of the world’s most breathtaking snow-capped mountains. Each year, thousands of tourists are drawn to these majestic landscapes, seeking adventure, serenity, and the thrill of the heights. Yet, behind this story of pride and natural grandeur lies an often-overlooked figure, the mountain porter, known locally as Bhariya.

The mountain porters are the unsung heroes who carry the backpacks and supplies, often weighing twice their own body weight, ensuring that the journey is smooth for trekkers. When the world stands in awe at the mountains’ beauty, it is the quiet strength and resilience of these heroes that sustain the adventure. Their stories rarely make it to the forefront, yet they are the backbone of Nepal’s trekking industry. 

A life carried on the back

For many, the physically demanding work is not merely a job, but it’s their way of life, passed down from generations. The reality hits too close when one looks at them from a close shot. Their unwavering smile that goes unrecognised, quietly far from the romanticised adventure of the trails. Their high-risk job carried out under harsh conditions requires strength, endurance, and quiet resilience, often without the luxury of choice.

Watching them with a tumpline called Namlo in Nepali is the most ancient form of human labour that exists as the heaviest load in the world. For anyone who goes mountain trekking for the first time, this scene catches the attention of the divided world. 

And then with a heavy heart, you let them carry on, stumbling with steadiness, walking through all day long, soaking in sweat and dust. They move along the rugged roads and hills, bearing the weight of an aching spine. The basket never leaves their back. 

Last year when I was on my way to Namche Bazaar with my mother, one Bhariya named Lhakpa (name changed) shared us a grueling picture of his everyday life and said, “Life is already a burden and with this burden on my back, it’s even more painful, but not to undermine that I love what I am doing, it is at least paying me a smile”. Moreover, porters like Lhakpa and others become the cheapest carrier in this region as there are no alternative motorable places. 

Upon interrogating our own understanding, Lhakpa re-told, “I just wish roads wouldn’t get built faster that way, at least we can keep earning,” and those words struck us deeply – revealing an unsettling paradox that for some, even progress for some threatens survival. 

Despite the gruelling nature of work which comes with constantly risking their life, Bhariyas receive very low wages, Rs. 2000 per day, not enough to accommodate the insurance, healthcare, let alone cover their families sometimes. 

For so many of them, portering has not just been the earning source but something that’s deeply symbolic of the cultural fabric of the Himalayan Region.

This has rather become one of those earning skills that is passed with the knowledge of the mountains through generations, one after the other, shaping their position as porters and the values of their communities. Carrying goods this way on their backs has been an ancient practice, as they have been doing this for thousands of years, even before there were pulleys, levers and wheels.

Carrying loads this way sets apart more with economic reasons rather than symbolic reasons and indeed, the fact that the mountain region isn’t that developed. Only if these Namlo will get removed, the Bhariya would then breathe the air of accessibility and freedom as one porter, Pasang added, “I am used to living this way, which gives me identity and liberty.”

Bhariyas’ role in tourism

Very few people acknowledge the invisible labour that ensures the comfort and safety of tourists in remote trekking regions. Bhariyas, who carry heavy loads on their backs while also serving as guides, lead travellers along difficult and unfamiliar paths.

Despite accompanying tourists to their destinations, Bhariyas themselves are often excluded from the comforts available there. Accommodation is usually too expensive for them, and they frequently face poor treatment from hotel staff.

Bhariyas have long been accustomed to carrying loads, but at what cost? The weight they bear cannot be measured merely in numbers; it must be understood through the lens of responsibility toward them. 

For years, their labour has remained largely unseen despite being the backbone of mobility in the most inaccessible regions of Nepal. With poor road connectivity and harsh climatic conditions already compounding their struggles, it is a pressing call for us to speak on their behalf about their rights.

Because if tourists depend on Bhariyas, then they are not merely part of tourism – in fact, they are the ones that make tourism possible. Therefore, it is not just the landscapes that define these journeys, but also the local people like Bhariyas who inform, guide, and sustain every step. 

Authored by Susmita Aryal, a freelance writer based in Nepal. Views expressed by the author are their own.