Ken Hutt can never forget that harrowing day. He was in his most beloved place on earth - the Himalayas - but instead of inspiring Shangri-la, tragic scenes unfolded.
It was April 2014 and an avalanche had just struck the Everest region.
Ken saw several helicopters ferrying the bodies of Sherpas, an indigenous Himalayan tribe who are renowned for climbing mountains.
Sixteen Sherpas were killed while climbing Everest as a result of the icefall.
Later, Nepali climbers decided to abandon the climbing of Everest for the rest of the year to honour their deceased colleagues.
“I felt sick. It was horrible,” Ken says. For a moment then, he was thinking of aborting his trip as well.
The Australian was on his way to Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest mountain, which is only a few kilometres west of Mount Everest. He was trekking to the Everest Base camp to get used with the altitude and climatize himself before attempting the climb.
But he was also on a bigger mission - raising funds for polio eradication. Abandoning the planned trip would jeopardise his fund-raising efforts.
A rescue helicopter comes in for a landing to pick up the injured from Everest Base Camp after an avalanche. Source: AFP
“I continued on as I had a responsibility of polio eradication,” he recalls. Eventually, he went on to climb Cho Oyu and paraglided from the mountain.
Paragliding from Mount Everest
But now he has his sights set on the tallest mountain of all - Mount Everest.
If everything goes to plan, Ken Hutt will be paragliding from the summit of the Everest. He hopes to launch the adventure this March.
“I have been very focussed to get this done in March. My agents in Nepal are finalising paperwork for me,” he adds.
However, he is nervous about the evolving nature of the current coronavirus pandemic and restrictions enforced by the Australian government around international travel.
The Australian government recently announced reducing the threshold for international arrivals in a bid to manage the spread of COVID-19.
His trip may have to get pushed back a little further- until September or October – if he is unable to get the green light on time. “But I am still optimistic to be able to start my journey in March,” he says.
For Ken, taking challenges is nothing new. He was part of a police rescue squad for several years and was also involved in the Water Police.
Seeking more adventures, he resigned from the Police Force and got hooked on mountain climbing.
His younger brother Anthony, who was already into climbing, introduced him to the mountains of New Zealand. Since then, there was no looking back.
Ken says he's always out and about with new adventurous projects. One common question that most of his friends and family ask him is – what next?
“I suppose there is an expectation that I would be planning another trip,” he says with a smile.
Even when at home, he frequently goes out to fulfil another of his passion- paragliding. Ken, who lives in Berry, two hours south of Sydney, is a frequently spotted in Stanwell Tops, a popular spot for local paragliders.
“I go out there, three to four times a week, weather permitting,” he says. “Paragliding is a wonderful leisurely activity. The experience of freely floating in the air with a sight of whales on the ocean is just magnificent.”
Hutt flying over Stanwell Tops, south of Sydney. Source: Supplied
Combining two passions- climbing and paragliding- for his next big project was an easy choice. “I tend to avoid Everest, as it gets busy."
"But the only way you get attention is when you climb Everest, a pinnacle for mountain climbing,” he says. And to raise funds for his mission of eradicating polio - he does need that attention.
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A beef farmer by profession, Ken is also a member of the local rotary club, which helps raise fund to end polio forever.
Although both Australia and Nepal are declared as polio-free states, it remains endemic in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.
According to Rotary, if all the eradication efforts are stopped today, polio could paralyse as many as 200,000 children each year within the next ten years.
As a grandfather of six, Ken finds it difficult to comprehend that even today, kids somewhere in the world are falling prey to polio, which is preventable.
A health worker gives a polio vaccine to a child days after Pakistan launched an anti-polio campaign across the country (AAP) Source: AAP
“Hence, we need more money to eradicate this completely,” he laments.
Paragliding from the Everest has a romantic tune to it, but it has its own risks. Nearly three hundred people have lost their lives during the Everest expedition as per the National Geography.
When Hutt flew from Mount Cho Oyu, he had to land on the screed beside the glacier, which can sometimes be quite dangerous.
However, the geography around the Everest region is much better to land on.
“The relatively steady terrain between Gorakshep and Kala Patthar allows for safer landing from Everest,” he says, adding he and his team have planned the trip with minimum risks.
If successful, he will become the oldest person, at 61, to paraglide from the summit of the almighty Mount Everest. According to National Geographic, until now only three groups have paraglided down from the peak of the world’s tallest mountain.
Hutt in the Evesr base Camp Source: Ken Hutt
Climbing Everest is quite challenging and can take around two months for one to acclimatise and reach the summit.
The descent can be equally risky and normally takes three days to get to the base camp from the summit.
For Ken though, with the help of a 2.1 kg lightweight paraglider, he will be airborne only for about 40 minutes before landing on the surface. “With 60 kilometre-per-hour speed, it saves a lot of time,” he says with a quirky laugh.
When asked what lies ahead after the Everest Assault, the name given to his upcoming project, Ken says he would like to sail around the Pacific first, and maybe circumnavigate the earth later.
Ken Hutt in his property, south of Sydney. Source: Supplied
The non-stop explorer then excuses himself to get back to his computer. “I need to respond to government queries around my application on travel exemption,” he says.
He is right. He has another mountain to climb before he gets to Everest.
