A tragedy that has hit close to home
On 26 August, catastrophic flooding struck the Nepal-Tibet border, devastating communities, taking lives and leaving many people still unaccounted for.
For everyone at EverTrek, this tragedy has also become deeply personal.
Three guides who have worked closely with our team in Nepal for many years - Bal Kumar Tamang, Angchering Sherpa and Lopsang Sherpa - were caught up in the disaster and remain missing.
We have worked with Bal, Angchering and Lopsang for around seven or eight years. They are not simply names on a list of people caught up in a disaster thousands of miles away.
They are friends and colleagues. They are people who have walked alongside hundreds of EverTrekkers through the Himalayas, shared meals and stories with them, looked after them when things became difficult and helped them achieve things they may once have thought impossible.
Many members of the EverTrek community will know them personally.
Praying for a miracle
In the hours following the floods, our team desperately tried to establish contact with everyone we knew had been in the affected area.
Unfortunately, there has still been no contact with Bal, Angchering or Lopsang.
Andy Moore, EverTrek founder, has spoken to The Independent and the South Wales Argus about the difficult reality of the situation:
“We’re obviously praying for a miracle, but looking at the scenes and not having any signal or contact from them, it’s looking, unfortunately, very ominous.”
He also reflected on the reality of a place that means so much to all of us:
“Although the Himalayas are an amazing place for trekking, it can also be brutal at times.”
The search continues and, until we know more, we do not want to state as fact something that has not been officially confirmed.
But as time passes, we are also having to come to terms with the likelihood that they may not be found alive.
Our thoughts remain with their families, and with every family waiting for news of someone they love.
The people behind the adventures
One thing tragedies like this bring sharply into focus is something that can sometimes be overlooked when we talk about adventure travel.
Behind every Himalayan trek are people.
Guides, porters, drivers, cooks, teahouse owners and countless others make these adventures possible.
For visitors, Nepal might be somewhere we spend two or three extraordinary weeks of our lives. For the people who welcome us there, these mountains are home - and tourism provides livelihoods that support entire families and communities.
Guides in particular are often significant, or even primary, earners for their families.
That means the impact of this disaster does not end when the flood waters recede.
For families who have lost - or may have lost - someone they depend upon, the financial consequences can continue for months and years.
That is where we believe we can do something practical to help.
Over £9,000 raised - and growing
After sharing what had happened, we were overwhelmed by the number of EverTrekkers who contacted us asking the same question:
What can we do to help?
So we set up the Nepal Flooding Appeal to raise money for the families of guides affected by this tragedy.
In just a few days, the response has been extraordinary.
Over £9,000 has already been raised, and that figure continues to grow.
Every donation, share and message of support has meant an enormous amount.
More importantly, that money can provide practical help to families facing an incredibly uncertain future.
[Donate to the Nepal Flooding Appeal]
Thank you to every single person who has contributed.
“Our immediate focus is on supporting the families affected and doing what we can to provide practical help. We’ve been incredibly moved by the response to the appeal so far, and we’re committed to continuing that support both through fundraising and by helping ensure tourism continues to benefit the communities that depend on it.” - Rhys David (CEO of EverTrek)
Another way we are supporting Nepal
There is another part of this that we feel strongly about.
Nepal still needs tourism.
When something terrible happens in a destination, the understandable instinct can be to stay away.
But tourism is an incredibly important part of Nepal's economy and supports livelihoods throughout its mountain communities. The people who guide our groups, carry equipment, drive vehicles, run lodges and provide meals all depend, directly or indirectly, on people continuing to visit.
So supporting Nepal is not only about what happens in the immediate aftermath of this disaster.
It is also about continuing to travel there when it is safe to do so.
Our upcoming Nepal adventures are going ahead as planned, and we have introduced another way for bookings to contribute to the response.
For every Nepal trip booked during the campaign, EverTrek will donate £100 to support those affected by the floods.
Customers can also use code GIVE100 (DONATE100 for our US customers) to receive £100/$100 off their Nepal booking - and we’ll donate a further £100 to the appeal on their behalf.
And if someone would prefer to donate that £100 saving too, they can simply contact our team and we will arrange for the full £200 from their booking to go towards the appeal.
It is a practical way of making sure that continuing to visit this incredible country also helps support the people who make those adventures possible.
Nepal has given us so much
EverTrek's relationship with Nepal goes back to the very beginning of our story.
Over the years, we have built friendships there that go far beyond a relationship between a UK trekking company and its local team.
That is what makes the events of this week so difficult.
“Nepal has been a huge part of EverTrek from the very beginning, and over the years the people we work with there have become far more than just guides or partners to us. They’re friends, and they’re the people who make these adventures what they are.
What’s happened over the last few days has been incredibly difficult to process, and our thoughts are first and foremost with the families affected.
The response from the EverTrek community has been amazing, and I’m hugely grateful to everyone who has donated or shared the appeal. The most important thing now is that we keep supporting these families, and that in the longer term we continue supporting Nepal and the communities that depend so heavily on tourism.” - Andy Moore (Founder of EverTrek)
For now, we continue to hope for news.
And we will continue doing what we can for the families and communities dealing with the consequences of this tragedy.
To everyone who has donated, shared the appeal, sent messages, checked in on our team or simply kept Bal, Angchering, Lopsang and all those affected in their thoughts - thank you.
The response has reminded us just how powerful the trekking community can be when it comes together.
And right now, Nepal needs that community around it.
Thank you for standing with Nepal
The days ahead will be difficult for many families and communities affected by these floods, but the response so far has shown just how much support is out there.
Whether you have donated, shared the appeal, sent a message of support or simply taken the time to read this update - thank you.
We’ll continue to share updates where we can, support the families affected and stand alongside our friends and partners in Nepal as they begin to recover.
If you would like to support the Nepal Flooding Appeal, you can donate here.
Annapurna Base Camp Trek
- From terraced fields and bamboo forests to alpine meadows and massive glacial basins, the Annapurna Base Camp trek delivers a bit of everything, wrapped in the towering embrace of the Annapurna Massif.
- The trail winds through traditional Gurung villages, past waterfalls, and across rhododendron-covered hillsides, before climbing into the heart of a natural amphitheatre of giants, where Annapurna (8,091m), Machapuchare, Hiunchuli, and Gangapurna all stand watch.
- This is a journey that blends natural beauty with cultural depth and a chance to experience Nepal’s breathtaking scenery and warm mountain hospitality in perfect balance.
Ultimate Island Peak and Everest Base Camp Expedition
- This is the full trekking Himalayan experience, offering an epic loop through the Khumbu region.
- This Island Peak and Everest Base Camp trek throws in everything from Gokyo’s glacial lakes to the legendary passes of Cho La and Kongma La.
- After ticking off Everest Base Camp, you’ll swap trekking poles for ice axes as you rope up for the ultimate finale: a climb to the summit of Island Peak at 6,189m.
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