Transcript:

This is Garrett Madison calling in from Gorak Shep. Today the team was able to descend from Camp 2 on Mount Everest down to Camp 1. We had a good break in the weather and then from Camp 1 we were able to be evacuated by helicopter down to Base Camp. We got down to Base Camp and were able to sort through what was left of our camp after the wind blast from the landslide triggered by the earthquake here in Nepal. It was a very sobering couple of hours sorting through the rubble of what was left of our camp. Now we are on our way down the valley. All team members are doing well. Michael and Ron are in Kathmandu at the moment. The rest of the members are here at Gorak Shep in the Khumbu valley and we are working our way down slowly towards Lukla and Kathmandu.

We are still just incredibly devastated by the loss of our Base Camp doctor, Marisa Eve Girawong. She supported us throughout the expedition, took good care of us and insured that we were healthy throughout. We are just totally devastated that we lost her in Base Camp due to wind blast from the landslide.

We will check in again tomorrow. Thank you.

We received a call from Garrett that the climbing team has quickly and safely descended from Camp 2 to Camp 1 and is now awaiting a helicopter evacuation to base camp. The weather is currently very good at base camp and there are a number of climbers from several teams awaiting a flight down. If everything goes to schedule, we expect the team to be safely in base camp sometime today in Nepal (Monday).

More information as we get it.

Transcript of Garrett’s audio dispatch via sat phone:

Hi, this is Garrett Madison calling in from Camp 2 on Mount Everest here with the guiding team. It’s been a rough 24 hours for us. Yesterday as many of you know there was an earthquake in Nepal and it shook up the Western Cwm pretty badly while we were climbing. We managed to make it to Camp 2. And at that point we got on the radio to base camp and learned that our base camp had been devastated and that one of our members, our beloved doctor Eve Girawong was in critical condition. Over the next few hours we learned that she had passed away and it was very hard on all of us.

We have been up here at Camp 2 hanging tough but we are running low on food and fuel and we have to get down. There’s no path or route through the Khumbu icefall at this point in time. The teams that have tried to make their way through the icefall today were unsuccessful and will not be attempting again in the future. So at this point our only option to get down is by helicopter evacuation.

Our plan is to descend tomorrow to Camp 1 and hopefully with good weather fly to base camp to reconnect with the other members of our expedition who survived the avalanche at Everest base camp.

Again our hearts go out to the family of Eve Girawong. She is loved by all of us in base camp and a great addition to our team and helped us tremendously. She will be missed greatly. We are very sorry for her loss.

Thank you. I will check in soon.

It is with deep sorrow and profound grief that we can confirm the loss of our Everest/Lhotse base camp doctor, Marisa Eve Girawong. Eve perished in the aftermath of the avalanche that struck the base camp area following the devastating Nepal earthquake earlier today.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Eve and her family and friends.

We will have more information later after daybreak in Nepal and additional updates from our team. Thank you for your combined prayers and well wishes.

There has been a massive earthquake in Nepal. We have heard from our team that all of the climbing team is at Camp 2 and are fine. The earthquake struck while the team was climbing from Camp 1 to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm. There has been extensive damage at base camp and details are still coming in. We will post more information here when we have it.