A local man has helped raise £15,000 for charity despite being forced to turn back from his Mount Everest Base Camp trek after a freak blizzard made the route impassable.
Mervyn Parrish from Corsley was taking part in a group trek to raise funds for the Samaritans in Bath. However, the group was caught in a severe blizzard near Base Camp, with snow quickly piling up to waist height.
“We went up and were about seven miles from Base Camp when the guide said we’d probably need crampons the next day because it might snow a bit,” Mervyn said.
“At first, we thought that was fine, but then it started snowing heavily and continued until there was about five feet of snow.”
At three miles from Base Camp, the group made the decision to turn around. “We were literally up to our waists in snow. It was all white out; you couldn’t see anything. Our guide knew the path, but it was completely covered in snow,” Mervyn explained.
The group also faced thunder, lightning and small avalanches during the storm, and one member fell into a river due to poor visibility. “He was fine but very cold,” said Mervyn. “It took about eight hours to get down to the teahouse below.”
October is usually considered one of the best months to hike Mount Everest due to clear skies and stable weather. “Our guide has done this for 20 years and never seen anything like it in October,” Mervyn said.
Despite the challenges, he described the trek as ‘an amazing experience.’ “The main thing is we raised £15,000 for the Samaritans. I’m a Samaritan myself, so it’s a cause I strongly believe in,” he added.
All routes to Base Camp were impassable on foot, so the group travelled by helicopter to reach it safely. Mervyn returned to the UK on 12th October.
