At 4410m, Machermo is ideally situated to provide a much needed rescue service, a dormitory and a kitchen for porters plying the upper reaches of the Gokyo valley and the passes leading into it (Renzo La 5600m and Cho La 5420m). The rescue service is also available to trekkers.

Since the spring season 2003 the post has opened each trekking season and was originally based in a room at Namgyal’s lodge in the village. We have now moved into our purpose built facility (pictured). The building was initially financed by Community Action Nepal (CAN) and construction supervised by Gobinda and Mahesh (CAN-Nepal), Namgyal Sherpa and Ian Wall (CAN-UK trustee). It has been fitted out at IPPG’s expense and IPPG is  in the process of repaying CAN the cost of construction.

Gokyo Outreach Facility
There is a porter shelter with attached doctor’s room being built at Gokyo by CAN (electrics, etc by IPPG) to meet an urgent need for both shelter and medical help. This is an outreach of the Machermo facility and a doctor is not always present, though there is a good phone connection to the Machermo post for summoning help. Until the shelter is finished the doctor stays in rooms at one of the Gokyo lodges.

Equipment

Porters sleeping in a cave

Machermo Rescue Post is equipped with a Portable Altitude Chamber (donated by the manufacturer CE Bartlett, Australia), an oxygen generator (donated by IMEC, USA), oxygen cylinders, a pulse oximeter (donated by Bernhard Fassl, USA), a stretcher (donated by Skipton CRO, UK), rescue equipment (donated by the Furness Mountain Rescue team, UK), solar powered batteries (Jim Duff’s Kili sponsored climb), a satellite phone (donated by Island School, Hong Kong) and heaps of medication including Penthrox inhalers (donated by Medical Developments International, Australia). The kitchen and dormitory fitout was funded by donations from various people including Scotch College and Toorak College (Australia).

In no particular order, on behalf of the porters, grateful thanks to:

• The Kumbila Buffer Zone committee (KBZC) who have been instrumental in facilitating the project along with the National Park and Local User Committee Machermo.
• Namgyal Sherpa who has supervised the construction
• Ian Wall who directed construction
• CAN-UK and all their donors who made the construction possible
• Sir Edmund Hillary, who signed Doug Scott’s photos/ posters (of the Hillary step, Everest) raising most of the money needed to build the Porter Shelter/Rescue Post and the generosity of the people who bought them at auction
• The Himalayan Trust
• The British embassy, Kathmandu
• Dr Trish Batchelor who first managed the rescue post
• Drs Louise Cook (Director), Nick and Emma Mason and Matt Morgan who manage the project.
• All our donors who are listed on this website. There are many others not mentioned who gave time and support.

If you have any queries or suggestions or feel you should be mentioned above, please contact me on contact@ippg.net.
Dr Jim Duff, IPPG International Coordinator

DOCTORS WANTED !

Would you be interested in working as a volunteer at the Machermo or Gokyo rescue posts? More info here.

A big thank you to the volunteers who ran the rescue posts in past seasons: