Somehow, they all survived.
It’s a miracle, watching the video. In Nepal, a massive avalanche hit a base camp at Manaslu, the eighth-highest mountain in the world. In just a few seconds, a massive cloud of snow enveloped more than 30 tents.
A 23-second clip on YouTube shows the snow barreling down the mountain on Oct. 2.
As the cloud reached the camp, numerous individuals were scrambling to find shelter amid the tents.
“Inside,” one person said, then more urgently: “Inside, inside!”
Screaming could be heard as mountaineers ran toward the tent.
India’s Asian News International confirmed that the avalanche had hit the camp and talked to a sherpa who was there.
“More than three dozen tents have been damaged today,” he told ANI.
The report said the sherpa “divulged that few tents were destroyed in the avalanche with no human casualties.”
“Some of the expedition companies are calling off their attempt for the season,” ANI reported.
Manaslu — 26,781 feet tall — is a popular destination for ski mountaineers, the Hindustan Times reported.
The mountaineers, the outlet noted, “arrive from across the globe to scale the peak.”
Nepal’s Department of Tourism has issued over 400 permits for climbers to scale the mountain this year.
However, the weather hasn’t been good on the peak. That’s meant avalanches are a risk — and others haven’t been as lucky as the mountaineers in this video.
On Sept. 26, Hilaree Nelson, a notable 49-year-old ski mountaineer, was among two dead in another avalanche.
The Hindustan Times reported she “was blown off Manaslu … by a small avalanche” as she skied down from the summit.
“She was swept off her feet and carried down a narrow snow slope down the south side (opposite from climbing route) of the mountain,” said Jim Morrison, her partner.
Her body was subsequently discovered near the peak two days later.
“I’m in Kathmandu with her and her spirit,” Morrison said on social media. “My loss is indescribable and I am focused on her children and their steps forward.”
The U.S. Embassy in Nepal also tweeted its condolences.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of American adventurer and mountaineer #HilareeNelson at Manaslu Mountain,” the embassy tweeted.
“We would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Nelson. Her spirit and bravery will continue to inspire us.”
We are deeply saddened by the death of American adventurer and mountaineer #HilareeNelson at Manaslu Mountain. We would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Nelson. Her spirit and bravery will continue to inspire us. pic.twitter.com/KLwbwaeNi0
— U.S. Embassy Nepal (@USEmbassyNepal) September 28, 2022
The North Face, Nelson’s sponsor, said she was a “hero,” “mentor” and “friend” who “embodied possibility.”
— The North Face (@thenorthface) September 28, 2022
Yet this time, everyone survived. It’s a miracle — and a reason we shouldn’t take the old bromide “the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away” so lightly.
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by,” the psalmist wrote.
In this case, mercy and grace were with the men and women in this camp.
For those who were taken in these avalanches, we grieve.
For those who were saved, we thank God — for his hand was truly upon them.
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