I hope the moderators allow this. I run a small tourism project in Afghanistan - I've worked in some capacity in the country for about a decade as a journalist and in the past two years have set up Safarat (www.safarat.co). The tours are lead by experienced photo journalists like myself and tend to focus on the country's social and political situation and provide income to local people including women who are allowed to work in hospitality.
I am a climber and mountaineer myself and despite the focus of our project at the moment has been in the Pashtun south, the draw of the mountains and hills of the north has been strong. I've also known a number of people involved in the various Ski challenges and mountain marathon style projects in Bamyan province for years and was a friend of Fernando Rollando the Italian mountain guide who ran “Alpistan” in the 2010’s.
We've recently started offering small scale trekking trips in the Shah Foladi mountains of Bamyan, and there are a core of excellent local men who are fit, strong and enthusiastic about climbing and mountaineering and desperate to be able to lead foreign clients on small trips in the mountains. There are a number of excellent overnight treks and climbs which involve glacier traverses and scrambly climbs which would benefit from some knowledge of confidence roping.
Sadly at the moment none of them have even the most basic of skills which limits them to low level walking in the summer time with guests.
What I am looking for is an accredited mountain guide who might be interested this spring in offering a couple of weeks of their time to take part in a small training project to benefit a group of 4-5 local men. I’m thinking of a kind of winter skills course as well as some basic first aid and planning followed by a couple of small ‘expeditions’ to test the groups skills.
I’m happy to pay for the guides flights and I would of course be able to provide food and accommodation for them.
Safarat is currently running at a considerable, considerable loss at the moment - we are paying the salaries of our drivers and various others every month to make sure that people have income all the time. Although I hope the ‘guides’ will benefit our project in the long run (please god), the guides will of course be able to work for whoever they want and more and more foreign tourists are finding themselves in Bamyan. I really hope it also brings more foreigners into the villages, into homestays and spending money!
I've also personally donated various bits of kit to various people in the villages, but I’m also on the lookout for a few sets of old crampons, ice axes and B2 compatible boots (sizes 41/42/43) as well as any other climbing equipment that anyone is interested in donating. Even stuff like high quality daypacks are impossible to get hold of in Afghanistan and even if they could be bought, salaries for these guys are less than $1000 a year if they are doing well.
Anyone who is interested can give me a ring or send me a whastapp or email. I'm on 07458 611 911 or mail@joesheffer.com
I know there are a huge amount of ethical questions about working in Afghanistan at the moment. Believe me we have thought carefully about them - I don't want to write a long essay here.
