Tough Day for our Team (and many others)

A terribly sad and tragic day on Mount Everest today. Spirits were very high yesterday after our puja, but today was perhaps the hardest day of my life.

Around 6:45am I was up and manning the radio in touch with our Sherpa team that was carrying loads up to camp 1 and camp 2 when an avalanche broke free off of the West Shoulder near the top of the Khumbu Ice Fall. Our radio transmission cut out and then we heard the terrible sound of the avalanche. Immediately we rushed out of the communications tent and witnessed the ice coming down on to the area of the route to camp 1 near the top of the Ice Fall.

It is with much sadness and grief that we must report that three of our Sherpa team, including our Sirdar, were among those Sherpa who lost their lives today. Our team will continue the recovery efforts tomorrow to bring down the body of our Sirdar, while the bodies of the other two Sherpa have already been flown down valley to their families.

We will be organizing a fund for the families of the men who lost their lives today. Please contact us if you would like to contribute.

We will spend a few days to regroup and assess. More information later. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.