Realisation

Realisation

The news is not good, hundreds dead and more injured. The day after the earthquake we start to make our way down to a very small village called Tangnag which comprises teashops for trekkers and climbers to stay at and some subsistence farming at 4360m.

When we arrived we found that some of the houses have been badly damaged by the quake. We share stories with other climbers as we sit against a wall.

The next thing we know is that the ground shakes, we shout get away from the buildings. We run. Others are running out from the buildings, walls start to spit dust and rocks that make up the walls fall and some more buildings collapse.

This is bizarre, like a film set, like TV news; but in your face, up front, totally real.

It stops, we are silent, numbed by what has just happened. The whole village is quiet. Then people start to move to look at the damage that had happened. This is a major after shock. Yesterday’s quake was bigger than this one, however seeing people homes damaged makes it worse.

Contact is made by sat phone, we are told of the disaster at Everest base camp, the thousands dead, the state of emergency and the international relief effort. Jagged Globe will now tell our next of kin that we are ok.

Saying that my mind is numb is inadequate.

We eat some lunch and set off down the valley. It will take 3 days to walk to Lukla and an airstrip and get a flight out.

Tents are set up no one wants to sleep indoors tonight.

As we pass damaged houses the local people are smiling, no one killed, no one seriously injured. We continue to walk in silence.