Thorong La Pass: the killer storm

On October 14, 2014, 43 people lost their lives when a wild storm swept over Thorong La Pass. Two key protagonists reveal what happened that day.

In October 2014, Tropical Cyclone Hud Hud barreled north from the Bay of Bengal, across India and toward the Annapurna region in Nepal.

Raju Gurung (top) and Paul Sherridan. Photos: Denby Weller; South Yorkshire Police

A combination of orographic lift and the local geography funnelling winds through mountain valleys led to a particularly massive storm striking Thorong La Pass - the highest trekking pass on earth - at the peak of the tourist season.

Forty-three people lost their lives and hundreds more were injured. But the death toll could have been much higher were it not for the actions of Paul Sherridan and Raju Gurung.

Paul's leadership, fostered in his day job as a British police officer, and Raju's 23 years' of experience as a trekking guide made the two men the perfect allies against the brutal force of the storm.

"A black wind": Raju Gurung and Paul Sherridan relive the day they nearly lost their lives on Thorong La Pass.