Everest friends remain in Nepal
Two travellers from Sunderland are stranded 4,500 miles from home after Nepal closed its airports due to coronavirus.
David Armour from Ashbrooke and his friend Jack Foggin from Hetton arrived in Kathmadu, the nation’s capital, on March 14.
They are part of a group of 14 from the UK whose flights have been cancelled.
David, 55, a photographer and Jack, 28, a team leader at an energy company, travelled to the country so they could walk to Everest’s base camp; an ambition they have now achieved.
However, the government of Nepal has imposed a oneweek complete lockdown which began on Tuesday, with the Himalayan nation’s 30million population ordered to stay at home.
Nepal is so far one of the nations least affected by COVID-19, with only three recorded cases and no deaths.
David and Jack are fit and well. They have enough money for now, but their insurance company says that because their enforced stay is due to a pandemic, they are not insured for hotels or alternative flights.
They are about to travel to Lukla, a small airport known as “the gateway to Everest” and officially called Tenzin-Hillary Airport.
However, it is closed until April 1, the same as all of Nepal’s airports.
The pair booked with Evertrek, an agency specialising in the Himalayan experience.
They flew from Manchester with the Emirates airline who were supposed to bring them back there on March 29.
David said: “Evertrek have been exceptional and are trying everything to get us home. Emirates have said we can have vouchers for the cancelled flight, which are no good whatsoever as I’d have to buy another flight or go somewhere on my own.
“The insurance company have been poor and said because it’s a pandemic we are on our own, although I can’t find anything in the small print.
“In fairness to the British Embassy they are starting to communicate, asking where we will be should a flight become available.
“We are in great health and staying in teahouses at the moment.”
Meanwhile, the wait continues for the travellers, plus David’s wife and daughter and Jack’s fiancée who are all back home in Sunderland.