On the slopes of Mount Everest, the quake also took its toll. The Everest Base Camp is devastated and at least 18 climbers are dead. The outlook for this year’s climbing season, due to start now, is grim. Trekking too is likely to take a hit. Just last year, a snow storm on the popular Annapurna trail killed at least 43 people, including 21 trekkers. Frequent plane crashes in remote trekking areas have also frightened some visitors away. And while the number of trekkers to the Sagarmatha National Park at the foot of Everest rose to a record 38,000 visitors last year (from around 20,000 in the mid 1990s), the earthquake is likely to cause a reduction in people hitting the trails to the world’s highest peak in the coming season starting in October.