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Oct 25 - Nov 15, 1998

Today was the most intense part of our trip so far. We walked about two and a half hours to Dugla from Periche and gained about 300 meters. Even though the guidebooks suggest only ascending 300 meters a day, from Periche they tell you to go to the town of Lebouche which is actually a 500 meter gain. We arrived at about noon and during our Rara lunch an argument ensued. Should we stay here in the dirtiest place we had encountered yet(walls that didn’t reach the floor, mounds of garbage all in the one dirt covered lodge), or press on. As we were eating and debating we noticed and laughed about the same discussion going on with the group sitting next to us.

it was then, that a woman came down the mountain and informed us that there had been a death. Needless to say our decision to stay was made. The woman had to proceed down to Periche because there was no telephone or radio service in Dirty Dugla. Our natural assumption was that it was another case of someone being careless, pushing up the mountain to fast, ignoring the early signs of AMS and dying. Manny (the Canadian Royal Mountie) went up to see if he could help.

Over the next hour people from the group above began to trickle down to the yak lodge. We found out that the man who had died was the group leader, very strange, normally a group leader would be very aware of the AMS symptoms. That was when the situation began to get very sad. A young boy and a twenty-ish girl arrived wondering if the helicopter was on the way? An older woman then informed us that the man who died was 35 years old and had died of a heart attack. The group he was leading contained his step-daughter, grandson, best friend, and 8 other friends and acquaintances. One of the acquaintances of the man sat down and began to speak with us. He told us the man’s name was Luther Jerstead. He was part of the First American expedition to summit mount Everest in 1963. He had been to base camp of Everest 18 times and this was to be his final trek. He was bringing his grandson with him so they could experience the mountain together.

Manny, the man's best friend, and several Sherpas arrived with the body. On the hill above the lodge a tent was set up next to an old weathered chorten (a memorial made from rocks piled on top of each other.) Luther’s body was placed inside to wait for the helicopter. The clouds began to move in over the peaks in the distance and the sun started to set behind the mountain immediately in front of us, the wind gently ringing the bells draped around the yak necks, all creating a mood of ominous energy . The tent was draped with traditional Nepalese prayer flags and an impromptu service was held.

With the Nepalese praying in there language, the family crossing themselves and praying in English - Mike felt compelled to say the Mourners Kaddish in Hebrew.

The scene was chilling and the mood was somber yet somehow uplifting for us it shed a new light upon the trip. The family gave Manny some prayer flags to bring to base camp with us. it has given us more then a challenge, it has given us a mission.