Deadliest Day on Everest

22:45All of a sudden, the ground just moved up a meter. The ground was like, whoa! And then it shunted to the left, and it shunted to the right. And I sort of thought, what the hell? I thought, that can't be alcohol. It felt like somebody pushed in my back. Jules is violently thrown forwards towards the front of his tent. The ground shifts this way and that, rocking him sideways, as though he's on a fairground ride. The air outside is pierced with screams and shouts from his fellow campers. Amongst the panicked voices, there's also the crash of heavy objects. Metal scrapes against metal. Heavy thuds hit the snow and fabric tears as base camp is ripped apart.

23:31And still the shaking continues. Jules tries to steady himself, tensing every muscle in his body as he reaches for the tent's zip. Despite the violent tremors, he manages to open the flap and slowly clambers out onto the snow-covered ground. I got out of the tent, I'm in my socks, and I'm looking around. and everyone's looking to the left. So I'm looking to the left and oh my gosh, the whole sky, the whole sky is just filled full of snow and it's all coming towards us. It's all billowing round and flowy. The whole sky, everything I can see is full of snow and it's hurtling towards us. And I'm thinking, what do I do?

24:08What do I do? I'm about to die. I'm about to die. I'm looking, I'm looking, I'm thinking, can I run? You know, I'm on the glass here, it's all ice. I've got my socks on, I've got no shoes on, no time for my shoes on. I thought, well, what do I do?

24:23Jules stands, mouth agape, rooted to the spot. Little does he know that 100 miles away in Kathmandu, there has been a massive earthquake, and the resultant shockwaves are causing the Himalayan slopes to collapse. Jules looks all around him, but everywhere is the same. Every inch is covered in a giant blanket of fast-moving ice, rock, and snow. I had no idea what it was. It was like, is this the Third World War? Is this Armageddon? Is this the end of the world? You imagine you're sitting here now, and all of a sudden in front of you, the sky just fills full of snow, and it's all just coming towards you.

25:01And it's so big, you know, the ground shakes. And then, let's say the whole sky, everything you can see, you look out the window now, everything you can see, as high as you can see up to the clouds, it's just full of snow. And it's all billowing, it's rolling like this, it's coming towards you. There is no escaping this immense icy tidal wave. And then Jules notices the two Polish climbers from his expedition group in the near distance. Panic is etched on their faces too. But they suddenly burst into action, diving headfirst back inside their tent. Without wasting any more time, Jules does the same.

25:41I just dived into my tent and covered my head. And next thing, all hell broke loose and I'm buried alive in my tent.

25:53Within seconds, the freezing barrage is upon him. Tons and tons of snow flatten his tent and trap him in an icy grave. Thick layers pile above, squeezing the space, blocking out the light. Jules lies flat on his face, arms protecting his head, eyes clenched shut. The patter of snow grows softer, more muffled But it's not a sign of the avalanche slowing Rather, it's that the powder is piling higher around him Burying him deeper and deeper Seconds stretch into minutes There's no room to move, barely any to breathe I'm buried, I'm buried alive in my tent And I'm sort of thinking, what the hell is, you know, what's going on?

26:44Suddenly, everything goes quiet.

26:49For a few moments, Jules stays still, his breath shallow. Then he decides to wriggle around to see if he can move at all. He finds he is able to adjust his position ever so slightly. Unbelievably, he doesn't seem to be injured in any way.

27:12Gently, slowly, he shimmies his body around And reaches for the zip on the front of his tent There's snow everywhere So I end up, the craziest thing, I end up scrabbling through the snow I'm trying to pull the snow off to get to my bags To find my phone and my laptop Isn't that crazy? I've just nearly died And I'm looking for electronics because I think it must get wet So I'm raking through the snow And I'm trying to push the snow out of the tent and I'm trying to shove it all out the snow. Jules' fingers claw at the dense, frigid mass all around him. He fights through the snow, moving as swiftly as he can, trying to escape before everything collapses.

27:52Luckily, I was able to push up out of the snow and lift myself up and get my head out of the snow. I came out, my tent, and we're all looking at each other. We're like, what the hell? What's happened? Everyone's completely confused. No one really knows what the hell's going on.

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30:13As his eyes adjust to his surroundings, the extent of the damage becomes clear. It's like a bomb has exploded on the mountainside. Base camp is now a disaster zone. The camp's two satellite dishes, their best means of communication, have been crushed beyond repair. Tents and climbing gear lie strewn across the blanket of white as giant displaced rocks and boulders lie haphazardly across the camp. Meanwhile, the toilet block has been utterly destroyed. Its poles pierce the canteen like spears. Jules gingerly steps out of his tent to assess the situation more closely. And that's when he sees it's not only equipment that has been affected.

31:02I'm looking over and I can see the cook and he's standing there and I've never seen anyone like this. He was caught outside in the blast. He's still alive but there's nothing. He's got his glasses on. His glasses are completely frosted up. He's covered in snow. He's actually covered in snow. Luckily none of the gents' toilet's holes have gone through him. I rushed over to him and I'm like, are you all right? Are you all right? He's like this. He didn't move. He couldn't say anything. He was absolutely so deeply in shock.

31:34He gently guides the cook towards the mess tent, which somehow is still largely intact, and sits him down. But there are others here who need help. Jules jumps into action, racing around the cab. Wherever he looks, it's hysteria and horror. The first person I saw was this woman, and she's with her husband and another couple. They're in shorts and t-shirts. And she's like, we've got to go, we've got to go, we've got to go. I said, go where? Go where? She said, we've got to go, we've got to go. I said, where are you going? And it was like this sheer panic of needing to get the hell out of the place where she perceived the danger was.

32:18It's pandemonium. Some people are trying to rush away from the glacier. Some are wailing in pain. And some stare blankly into the distance in complete shock at what's happened. It's clear that someone needs to take charge to help the injured, organize a rescue mission, and prevent the ensuing chaos from becoming even more deadly than the disaster itself. Unhurt, calm under pressure, and a natural leader, Jules falls into the role. He instructs people around him to move the injured into the mess tent, where they can make cups of tea to keep them warm. Any spare blankets or clothes can be handed out too.

33:01Trained in first aid, Jules is able to provide basic treatment himself. Amid the chaos, one of the team has managed to retrieve their satellite phone. It's not the most reliable form of communication by any means, but at least it's something. The stranded climbers gather around the phone as it crackles into life, holding their breath in anticipation. And then suddenly, through the static, a voice croaks through the receiver. We started to get the information coming through. There'd been a massive earthquake. Lots of buildings were destroyed in Kathmandu. No flights were leaving Kathmandu. No flights were coming in, only emergency aid workers were coming in.

33:46And the earthquake had kicked off a massive avalanche that had wiped out a lot of base camp and killed a lot of people. killed. 19, 20 people died instantly. And then there were over 100 people injured. Well, over 100 people injured. Some very badly.

34:05For a while, the countless tasks keep Jules busy as he dashes about camp. But as the minutes become hours, the bleak reality of the situation becomes too great to ignore. Dozens of injured climbers from different countries and different expedition groups are stuck on Mount Everest, 17 ,000 feet up, with the air temperature dropping below freezing. The mess tent is filling up with patients, with injuries ranging from severe bruising to deep lacerations, and even in one case, a suspected broken neck. There was me and a Sherpa, so there was two of us on duty sort of all night, you know. That tent absolutely stank of blood.

34:51The volume of bleeding badly. So I was trying to get some fluids into them and the hot soup, very thin soup, so they didn't choke. Try and survive the night, basically, with 18 very sick people. If we can survive the night, then hopefully, hopefully some help will come in the morning.

35:16It's the next day. April the 26th, around 6 a.m. Jules only managed to get to sleep a few hours ago, having spent much of the night tending to his stricken companions. Exhausted from the traumatic events of yesterday, he is tucked up in his sleeping bag on a rocky patch of Everest base camp. As an icy, cold wind rustles the corners of his tent, he starts to wake up. And it's then that he hears an unexpected noise. It sounds like the whirring of helicopter rotor blades, but that can't be the case. The weather was terrible last night. Surely they won't have risked flying up here. Besides, the last Jules and his fellow survivors had heard, all rescue resources were being directed to Kathmandu, not to the stranded climbers on Everest.

36:08But as he stirs in his tent, the sound is unmistakable. To my absolute amazement, the helicopters had come that morning at 6 o 'clock And they'd taken most of the people at the hospital tent They'd gone, they'd managed to ship them away And, you know, I felt this huge sense of relief and a huge sense of guilt that I felt relief You know, I felt really, really guilty about it With the most severely injured now being cared for away from the mountain The burden on Jules lessens But that's not to say the struggle is over. Firstly, he must help recover the bodies of those who have perished, before covering them respectfully with tarpaulin.

36:52Then his focus returns to those who have survived. With so many camps and groups dotted up and down Everest, it's difficult to know who still needs help. Jules takes it on himself to trek around and investigate. It's while doing this that he discovers the camp of another expedition group, Adventure Consultants, or rather what's left of it.

37:19I went up to Adventure Consultants camp. I was just absolutely gobsmacked. I mean, there was nothing left standing. The whole thing was completely flat. I mean, every tent, everything, whole, it was just like completely obliterated. There was nothing. Half-buried possessions poke out of the snow here and there. Jules bends down to pick something up. I found somebody's driving license. I thought, well, I'll take it back to our camp. There was a lady in our expedition, and she was a heart surgeon. And I showed her this driving license, and she burst into tears. She said, that's the guy that I was climbing in Yosemite with last summer.

38:01And he's dead. I said, I'm so, so sorry. I am so, so sorry.

38:13Though the wounded have been evacuated, it isn't quite so simple for Jules and his companions as just trekking back down the mountain. There are questions around how to descend safely in the wake of the disaster. And even if they can get down, would that even be sensible right now? We knew there was no point in going back to Kathmandu. It was absolute chaos in Kathmandu. Yeah, absolute chaos. There's people injured, hospitals absolutely full-rammed. There's no point in going back to Kathmandu. Should they stay, or should they go?

38:50Two days after the avalanche, conditions have settled somewhat. There have been no more tremors, the sky is starting to clear. Having done everything he can for those around him, despite everything, Jules finds his thoughts turning back. to the original purpose that brought him here. Do we carry on and climb the mountain, or do we not climb the mountain? If we do climb the mountain, is that a disservice to the people who have died? Or if we don't climb the mountain, is that a disservice to them? Because if we make something of the expedition, it's not that they haven't died in vain, but we've made the best of the season.

39:28It's in honouring them, you know? Which way is it? Which way do you go? People may judge me for that, but it's very addictive. You know, I've left my two daughters behind. I'm away for eight weeks. You know, they're very precious to me. I did not want to come back again the following year and spend another eight weeks doing this. The group is divided. Some agree with Jules that, at this point now, there is a case to be made for attempting to summit. But understandably, others are unconvinced and just want to get home as fast as possible. And now the clear skies mean a descent is certainly more feasible.

40:07It's frustrating, having come so far and committed so much. It's such a dangerous mountain because, you know, you get summit fever. People go for the summit, they get close to summit. You get summit fever, you go for it, and that's why people die. You know, people die every year. Lost people die every year. And it is that summit fever. You get so close, you think, no, I'm going to go. But ultimately, as tempers flare, it's the group who want to leave who win the debate. Jules and the others prepare for departure. We slept that night on the next morning, 8 o 'clock. I was packing your kit up and off we go.

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41:56The descent will be long and draining. Jules estimates it will take him the best part of five days to navigate the icy trails. With tensions running high, the climbers agree to descend at their own pace independently. So, rucksack packed and strapped to his shoulders, jacket zipped up, and hands squeezed into gloves, Jules casts a final glance around the debris-strewn base camp, its remaining flags fluttering sadly in the breeze. With a deep sigh, he heads off down the mountain.

42:37After half a day of walking, he reaches the nearby village of Gorokshep, the first of multiple planned stops. And it's here that his luck turns around. Over a meal he gets talking to a Dutch climber who has special insurance covering the trip, which means there is a helicopter due to pick him up in a few hours. It's a chance for Jules to get home far quicker, and he takes it. Because when it's over, it's over. I just want to get home. You know, there's no chance now. I just want to get home and see my kids. I got on the helicopter and went straight back to Kathmandu. From Nepal's devastated capital, Jules eventually manages to get a plane back to England.

43:24It's only when he finally makes it home and is reunited with his family that he has an opportunity to really take stock of what happened on Everest. I've been through an incredible experience. I felt very honoured, very honoured to have been there When the earthquake and avalanche happened and to have survived, to survive pretty much unscathed, I felt very honored to have been there and to have experienced that. And it's an amazing story. The avalanche of April the 25th will be called the deadliest day on Everest. The earthquake in Kathmandu reached 7.8 on the Richter scale. Reports vary, but around 9 ,000 people were killed, including approximately 20 on Everest.

44:11It's estimated that there were a total of 140 climbers stranded up the mountain in the days following, including Jules and his expedition group. Due to the unprecedented scale of catastrophe, Everest is closed for the rest of the 2015 season. And the Nepalese government was so worried, 25 % of its tourist income comes from Everest. They were so worried about the impact of this, they thought potentially no one will ever climb Everest ever again.

44:44On a personal level, for many reasons, it seems Jules' dream is over. Until it isn't. Later that year, he received some unexpected news. The Nepalese government announces they are extending Everest permits for another two years. so that people who were unable to complete their expeditions the first time now have another shot. Jules wastes no time. I thought, I'm in remission from cancer, which could come back at any time. I can't wait two years. I can't wait to 2017 because I may not be alive then, so it's got to be 2016. Of course I want to do it. It's so addictive, honestly. Honestly, it's so addictive.

45:28You can't explain to somebody. You go and you don't succeed. I would have had to keep going back until I'd either killed myself trying it or I'd done it. And so Jules returns to Everest in the spring of 2016. He joins a different expedition group, made up of Nepalese climbers, with whom he traces the same steps, ledges, ladders, and slopes. As he ticks off the familiar locations on the Everest map, he remembers those who lost their lives a year earlier. Along the trail, memorials are laid for the deceased. A lot of the people are still, the bodies are still there on Everest. They're still there.

46:06They can't get them down, you know. And I remember looking at it, and there was this woman, and it said, it said, loving mother and wife of, and it listed the husband and the three children down below it. And it said, you know, you lived your dreams. Really nice inscription. 2015. She died at base camp. She was one of the 20 people that had died. I remember that really shocked me, that really brought home to me how lucky I was to be alive.

46:40Jules pushes on, up into the thin freezing air, until finally, a year later than planned, he reaches the summit.

46:58Standing over 29 ,000 feet up He has a view of the world And he won't let anything bring him down I get to the summit It's a miserable git on the summit I get there and there's some guys sitting there And I say, is this the summit? And they go, yeah, yeah, yeah But bloody fog's coming Can't see the bloody view You know, this is crap And I said, oh, you miserable idiot. I've come and ever. It's the first thing you say to me. It is crap. I couldn't believe it. I was like, what? I'm on top of the world. I'm so happy. I can go back and tell my daughters. I'm really happy. I'm there with this miserable idiot.

47:33I couldn't believe it. I'm like, no, come on, come on. This is it. I made it. Yee-haw.

47:44But even after this triumph, Jules receives a stark reminder of the perils of Everest. Suddenly his breath gets short and he starts experiencing tunnel vision. Thankfully, an altruistic Sherpa is nearby and can provide him with oxygen. A year on from surviving one tragedy on Everest, Jules very nearly falls to another. I was that close to death in 2016. It really was. it was like if that Sherpa hadn't come, I would still be up there near frozen to death. When Jules returns to England in the summer of 2016 after climbing the world's highest mountain, he is able to truly celebrate. After overcoming cancer, he once vowed to prove that he was just as strong, if not stronger than before.

48:35Having battled through two very different kinds of survival story. He does his best to embody a mindful and positive approach to life. Now it's very much yes. My answer to everything is yes. I don't want to be on my deathbed thinking about my bucket list that I haven't done. I want to be on my deathbed thinking I've lived a full life and I've done lots of really interesting things that I can tell my daughters about and I hope that inspires them. Life is short. You never know how short it's going to be. You get an opportunity take it.

49:14Next time on Real Survival Stories. We travel to a wild tropical outcrop of the northeast coast of Australia. In April 1997, Warren MacDonald is relaxing on Hinchinbrook Island, when a chance encounter with a total stranger presents him with the opportunity of a lifetime. But one night, a bizarre accident changes everything. Smashed to pieces and immobilized, Warren has to pin all his hopes on a man he only met the day before. That's next time on Real Survival Stories.

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