Nepal Earthquake Triggers Avalanche on Everest

[Scott P]

It was one huge widespread earthquake. It hit more than just Everest. Deaths are reported all the way from India, throughout Nepal and all the way in Bangladesh. That would be an equivalent distance of about the distance from Denver to Missouri. How sad. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

[Usher73]

Discovery Channel is showing a documentary on last year's Everest avalanche tonight.

[jsdratm]

Latest information: http://mountaintrip.com/everest/morning ... arthquake/

There have been only a couple of Sherpa who have descended through the icefall since the earthquake. The Sherpa who descended through the icefall were able to hear some voices of trapped climbers on their way down.

[susanjoypaul]

It's horrifying to think of people trapped in that icefall. But it's heartening to hear that someone was able to get down through it, too. The guide services will have figure out how to get all those folks down safely, the injured and the healthy ones, too, either on foot or helicopter.

It sucks to watch all this play out on television and social media, and be so helpless to do anything about it. There are several humanitarian aid non-profits working with people on the ground. I'm going to see what I can donate today. The Red Cross and Oxfam do good things in events like this, and we can't undo what's been done, but we can rally behind these people and do what we can, with donations, to ease their suffering in the coming days. I can't imagine what it would be like to survive a catastrophe like this.

Thanks for posting the additonal info, guys.

Susan

[Johnson]

Audio update from Alan Arnette:

http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2015/04 ... heimers-2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jimlup]

Wow! My heart goes out to Nepal as well as to the climbers and trekers. Thanks for the update links.

[susanjoypaul]

Here are some more links:

Jon Kedrowski at Base Camp: Everest Earthquake & Avalanche Aftermath & Photos
Jim Davidson at Camp 1: inReach Message from Jim Davidson
Alan Arnette at Camp 2 (climbing Lhotse): Audio Dispatch from Alan Arnette
Dan Nash on the North Side (climbing Cho Oyu): inReach Message from Dan Nash

-Susan

[I Man]

Thoughts go out for the people of Nepal, such a tragedy as the death tolls rises over 2,000. The country will never be the same. So sad.

14ers.com member Peter Hamel (Dereferenced) is safe and we have been in close contact every day. No injuries or fatalities reported on Cho Oyo. The DeLorme InReach is amazing technology.

Still waiting for reports to come in for the other peaks in the area. Extremely grateful that Peter is ok.

[atalarico]

This whole episode is heart wrenching. I was watching coverage of the earthquake start to trickle through on the BBC on Saturday morning. Before anyone on the news mentioned Everest, I had that gut punch thought "Wait...didn't the climbing season start in the Himalayas?!". Then I had that moment when I realized that there were members of the Colorado mountaineering community that are out there, and then the news started talking about the situation in the mountains. The human tragedy in this for the rest of the country is unbearable, and I get choked up just watching the footage from towns and cities. The dispatches from Alan, and the inReach messages, are really amazing and I think we all are in awe of the impact these pieces of technology have had for connection to this tragedy. I hope they know that our thoughts are with them, and that we're hanging on to every word in these dispatches.

There's some new footage on BBC from a German mountaineer who was filming during the first avalanche. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32474951" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I don't think they were close enough to get the shock-wave that we've all been reading about, but the terror in his voice is extremely palpable.

If anyone else is interested, Oxfam has a relief fund set up as well; https://secure2.oxfamamerica.org/page/c ... arthquake/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Johnson]

Such a mixture of emotions....over 3400 dead and yet happy to report that the Fort Collins contingency of Alan Arnette and Jim Davidson are off the mountain and back at Everest Base Camp.

[RobertKay]

My heart is aching for Nepal. As climbers we are feeling such a loss for those killed while at Everest but unfortunately this is only the tip of the iceberg. The death toll is rising so quickly that none of the numbers are even close to what we will finally learn. Entire villages are wiped out and there are also heavy rains in a lot of Nepal which will greatly compound this tragedy.

And then there is the huge loss of very historic sites in Kathmandu and around the country. So many beautiful structures are lost forever. What are the long term implications for the economy of this desperately poor nation? Will tourists have as much desire to go there and fall in love with the people?

Finally, remember that insurance of any kind is very rare in Nepal. The average Nepali has no medical, life or property insurance. The bulk of their "wealth" is tied up in their home which is now gone or badly damaged.

On the positive side, I am thrilled at the outpouring of support from the US and other nations, both private and public. I just pray that the help will get there quickly enough to save lives.

EVERYONE, please strongly consider donating to one of the legitimate non-profits that are already on the ground and doing what they can. I suggest World Vision, World Help and Samaritan's Purse as a start. These groups are responding very quickly and are efficient with your money.

[sean bennett]

I am usually able to turn a blind eye to this kind of thing but, I was just there in Oct/Nov and it is a magical place. So fragile and poor but the people are so peaceful and kind. Really tears me apart. I made two good friends there, I have heard from one who is safe but the other is somewhere on Everest and has not been in communication yet.