Who do you trust in the mountaineering business world?

Of recent there has been a lot of negative news regarding relationships and trust between guides, sherpas and clients (over the last 3yrs that I have heard of).

For example:

i) The death threats of 2013 between sherpas and western climbers (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130502-mount-everest-fight-simone-moro-interview-sherpas/); 

ii) I hear of a US guide ripping US clients off -Jeff Kron on Jon Kedrowski on Tashi Lakpa Sherpa’s post –Tashi of Seven Summit Treks 

(https://www.facebook.com/tashilakpa.sherpa/posts/906701006084232?comment_id=928505160570483&notif_t=mentions_comment);

iii) And the loss of the Greek Everest expedition payments with a registered Nepalese company (http://news.yahoo.com/robbery-saved-9-greek-climbers-nepal-quake-191946189.html).

Note: I do not have enough information to make a judgement of the incidents (I was not there myself in the examples above), I am looking at it from a broader perspective.

My real question is how does one know who to trust? 

a) The first example i shows the failure in relationship that at one time the climbers and sherpa were close (as they climbed together), but in a subsequent year, those same Sherpas are trying to kill them.

b) There is the inherent notion that when you work with a western guide or western company that you are ‘safer’.  Given the experience of the person in point ii, this is not necessarily true.  I hope that the client receives compensation if what has been reported is true. 

c) Similarly in point iii, a registered Nepalese company (or its staff) can simply result with theft and your life savings disappear.  Your dreams are thus over!  I find it funny that the news articles say that the guide that ripped them off effectively saved them from the avalanche that occurred on Everest Base Camp 2015…this is rubbish.  Theft is theft.  

A new client has to really look at the fact that they are giving money to a stranger.  Thus, one has to do their homework.  This means trying to find out how long that company has been active, the relationship one has, what recourse for remediation (do you know where his family comes from, can you find them if something goes wrong).  Nepal and the US are large populous countries where people can easily disappear with your money.  At least if you deal with a western company, given the western country’s legal system and infrastructure, one can more easily take legal action for compensation claims…you would have no hope in a 3rd world country such as Nepal.

For a new comer into mountaineering, you have some decisions to make.  Do you put your faith completely with an unknown company?  Do you try to do your own thing (fully independent) or a hybrid approach?

My recommendation is to learn by doing your first expedition on the cheap and rely on an established company (make sure to have travel insurance).  From here, you should have quickly learned about logistics management and determined what you need or not.  This then allows you to generally hit up a hybrid expedition approach.  It is rare to do it fully independently as the logistics of transport and food is difficult to organise overseas in less developed countries.  During your travels you meet up with other Sherpas and expedition companies and you get a feel of who are good and who are not, who are trustworthy (only a perception) and then put in security mechanisms to protect yourself and your money (expedition investment).

Learn from the experiences of others but also recognise that you cannot expect everything (unless you pay through the nose).  Your expectations must be realistic.  As soon as something doesn’t sound right, then raise it immediately.  Bad experiences should be shared to warn others of unscrupulous companies/individuals.

My experience has not always been positive.  Many promises have been made and broken.  I have seen many guides fail drastically in decision making which has cost me a chance to summit.  I have learnt to not fully trust anybody but myself and my own judgements.  I take a hybrid approach to my expeditions and if it fails, then I am the only one to blame.  If you don’t think you have the experience to make that call for yourself, then make sure you do your homework in finding a good full-service expedition company.  Do not listen to the marketing ‘fluff’…you want to deal with people that can be frank and honest with you.  When the s**t hits the fan, you need to be able to talk honestly without thinking you are about to hurt somebody’s feelings.  Your life may depend on it.

Whatever you do, remember that your hard earned cash is about to be transferred to a stranger…make sure you have recourse and protection.

My answer is…trust nobody!