A JERSEY fundraiser who reached Mount Everest base camp last week has described seeing the body of someone killed in the extreme blizzards and rainfall that hit the region being carried off a rescue helicopter.
Rob Mason – who was taking part in a challenge with three other Islanders and three UK friends to raise money for a mental health fund set up in his daughter Kezia’s name – said he felt very lucky to be alive, having descended from high altitude before the storms hit.
Speaking to the JEP from Katmandu, Mr Mason said that stories of the damage and devastation had reached him while he and his group waited in the Nepalese town of Lukla for their transfer to the capital.
He – along with Islanders Jason Wyse, Chris Duhamel and Kenny McCloud – has trekked down from Everest base camp over the weekend, narrowing missing the snow and rainfall; however, they had then been stuck in the small town for two days, waiting to leave.
Mr Mason said: “We were right on the edge of it. We got caught in heavy rain for 18 hours and saw the rivers swell and settlements get flooded.
“Fortunately, we had left the altitude behind; all that rain was snow further up.”
The deadly snow and rainfall, which triggered landslides and floods, have left hundreds of stranded climbers battling hypothermia near Mount Everest.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Mason continued: “This morning, we finally flew from Lukla to Katmandu after struggling to get out in the rain. We caught a helicopter because normal flights had been grounded the day before.
“As we were getting on our helicopter, a body was being taken off one next to us. It was a sad reminder of how dangerous the mountains can be and how lucky we were: we got good weather for 11 of the 12 days of our trek.
“We were lucky to get a helicopter because, the day before, they had all been commandeered by the government for the search and rescue effort.”
He added: “While we had been waiting in Lukla, stories had started to filter through, and people at the beginning of their treks were advised not to start.
“We heard that a section of a trail that we had walked just 12 hours before had been completely washed away. And as we flew to Katmandu, we could see numerous landslides.”
Rescuers in Nepal and India are now scrambling to deliver aid in response to the days of torrential monsoon rain that have killed at least 60 people, according to reports.
More than 200 hikers are stranded by a blizzard on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest.
Mr Mason said that, in contrast to the terrible weather over the weekend, his own trek had fared much better.
He said: “We just got a couple of inches of snow on day eight, when we reached Everest base camp. Now, people there are knee-deep in snow.
“People on the trek behind us were advised to stay in the tea houses, which are the local lodges. Nothing dries out at altitude, and the houses only have very basic equipment, and none of the bedrooms are heated. If you get wet, you stay wet.”
Reflecting on his own adventure, he said: “It has been absolutely epic for us, despite the sobering end. We achieved what we set out to achieve and got back safely.
“Between us, we have raised close to £20,000 for Kezia’s Fund.”
Kezia’s Fund offers grants to organisations working to improve mental health for young people in Jersey. Kezia took her own life aged 14 in 2022.
Mr Mason said the challenge had been tough – which had included suffering the nausea and headaches associated with altitude sickness – but fulfilling.
He added that, coincidentally, two other Islanders – Rob and Dawn Syvret – had been in their trek group.
To support Mr Mason and his friends, Islanders can donate to the cause via Sports-Giving: sportsgiving.co.uk/sponsor/activity/everest-base-camp-trek-in-aid-ofkezia-s-fund/rob-mason.
