It had been the first day of our 15-day trek. Setting off from Syabru Besi, 8 hours north east of Kathmandu, the Langtang valley stood before us in all of its grandeur. Coniferous wooded forests, bamboo groves, alpine meadows and snow capped mountains; the sun glistened off the icy peaks that towered above us. We were ascending the rooftop of the world. The earthquake struck at 11:56 that same morning, with a magnitude of 7,8 on the Richter scale. Walking through a narrow canyon at the time, dislodged boulders came hurtling down the valley within seconds; the ground shook violently and the mountains surrounding us began to crumble. Surviving the inital earthquake was pure luck. Surviving on the mountain for six days, however, can be attributed to the Nepalese people from the Bamboo village. They provided us with shelter, food and water without which we would not have been able to survive. Having lost everything, including members of their family, their kindness and generosity moved us deeply. By supporting our campaign, you are directly helping the people who saved our lives.