The team of Gurkhas at the summit of Everest
An expedition to put the first serving Gurkha on the summit of Mount Everest has ended with success for a total of 13 climbers.
The Gurkha Everest Expedition 2017 saw a team who survived the Nepal earthquake in 2015 return to Nepal to reattempt their historic bid, which is also raising funds for the Gurkha Welfare Trust.
Inmarsat supplied them with an ultra-portable Explorer 710 terminal, which supports superior quality live TV broadcasts using BGAN HDR, two IsatPhone 2 satellite phones, and an iSavi IsatHub terminal to use with their own smart devices, along with free airtime, so they could publicise the climb and stay connected.
News of the first three soldiers’ success came through on 15 May. The first climbers to summit this season, they fixed the route and a further 10 Gurkhas made it to the top the following day.
Expedition leader Major Andrew Todd said Inmarsat satellite communications had proved invaluable, enabling the team to receive weather reports high on the mountain, which had been crucial for their summit success.
The 2015 disaster killed 22 climbers on Everest. The Gurkhas were at Base Camp and Camp 1 when the first of the two Nepal earthquakes, which together claimed nearly 9,000 lives, struck on 25 April, but escaped without losing any members and were able to assist rescue efforts.
IsatPhone 2 in use by the Gurkhas on their Everest expedition
