ABOUT THE FUND

THE CREATION OF THE FUND 

On April 18, an avalanche on Mount Everest swept through a line of Sherpas preparing the climbing route for their commercial clients. Sixteen men were killed, making it the deadliest day in the mountain’s history. 

We are a group of ten photographers who have worked extensively with the Sherpa people and are devastated by this tragedy. For us, this is a moment to ask how we can help our Sherpa friends—both in this time of crisis and in the years to come. As a first step, we are donating the prints you see here, a selection of our photographs of the Everest region and its people, curated by our editors, National Geographic’s Sadie Quarrier and Outside’s Amy Silverman. One-hundred percent of profits from this sale will go to the Sherpa community via the nonprofit Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation, which has been working with Sherpa climbers in the Khumbu since 2003.

By purchasing a print today, you are helping provide relief to Sherpa families in crisis, as well as long-term support that transcends this single incident. Together, we will build a more comprehensive safety net for the high-altitude workers who help so many Westerners realize their dreams of the summit.

HOW THE FUND WILL BE USED 

The Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation will allocate all money raised from this project accordingly:

50 percent will go to families directly affected by accidents in the mountains. These funds will be divided between the Widow’s Relief Fund, which was established by the ALCF for families who have lost their primary wage earners, and the Sherpa Family Fund, which is administered by the American Himalayan Foundation.

50 percent will go to long-term community assistance. These funds will be divided between the Khumbu Climbing Center (KCC), which focuses on vocational training for high altitude workers, teaching mountain safety, rescue, and climbing skills in the region--saving lives by helping to prevent accidents; and Everest ER—the medical clinic at Everest Base Camp, which has treated thousands of climbers and porters during its past 12 seasons.

This project was organized by National Geographic photographer Aaron Huey and Outside Magazine Senior Editor Grayson Schaffer, with generous donations from: Jimmy Chin, James Balog, Cory Richards, Renan Ozturk, Teru Kuwayama, Pete McBride, Gordon Wiltsie, Andy Bardon, Robb Kendrick, and Max Lowe.