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Everest mountaineer returns to Himalayas to build post-earthquake Nepal schools 43 years after first expedition
- Roy Francis took part in the 1976 British Army Everest expedition and never imagined how much he would gain from the Himalayas
- He is torn between seeing the immediate effect of money on poor areas and protecting the mountains from tourist climbers
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When Roy Francis was called into his officer’s office in the 1970s and told he would be travelling to Everest as part of the British Army’s 1976 expedition, he never imagined the connection he would form with the Himalayas.
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Now, over forty years later, he is dedicating his time to building schools in areas flattened by the 2015 earthquake.
“I’ve got so much from Nepal. I was part of expeditions and I led expeditions. It led me to starting my own company in the 1990s. This is my chance to give back to the country,” he said.
After the earthquake, Francis decided to donate blankets. He oversaw a collection for donations, and soon found himself with US$20,000 (HK$198,000).
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“So we decided we needed to do more than buy blankets,” he said.
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