Today marks the one year anniversary of the earthquake that so deeply impacted the people of Nepal.

While we sat at dinner, those of us whom were here last year felt incredibly uneasy as the howling winds shook the tent. It brought back a very real and visceral feeling we experienced after just getting to basecamp last year. At first, we just thought someone was shaking the table and didn’t may much attention. As it got more and more intense, it was obvious as to what was happening. What we didn’t know, nor could we know, was how safe we were in the moment. All we could do was look at one another in between desperate scans of the horizon. When the shaking finally ceased, we all quickly took to the phones, radios and any other communication mechanism we could get our hands on. We wanted to connect with friends known to be on the south side of Everest as well as friends and loved ones back home to assure them of our safety.
It’s amazing that a little wind can so quickly bring up between people who share a connection from a traumatic event.
As we all reflect in our own ways, we all still come back to the appreciation we had for one another.

After a pretty crappy night’s sleep, I’m happy to report that I’m feeling great this afternoon. I went on a quick stroll of EBC, and took a moment to visit one of the memorials here, paying respect to those of whom didn’t make it off the mountain safely. It’s good to pause and reflect on the seriousness of any mountain, let alone Mt Everest. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the excitement of the prospect of a summit push and lose sight of the respect that must be paid.

One day at a time, appreciating the journey.