Nepal earthquake: Reunion for Hillary and Tenzing

Peter Hillary was with a party of his old school-friends about two hours' trek from base camp when the quake struck. Photo / Dean Purcell

Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing Norgay, whose fathers scaled Everest for the first time, witnessed the Nepal earthquake and avalanche first hand.

The two men, old friends for decades, were, unbeknown to each other, leading separate trekking parties to Everest Base Camp when the earthquake hit.

By chance, they ended up taking refuge in the same monastery village.

Jamling Tenzing Norgay had been leading a group of 10 young Indian women to the base camp.

"I pushed open the curtain that was in front of the door and he was sitting there in front of me," Mr Hillary said. "He jumped up and we gave each other a hug."

The two men then spent the evening reminiscing and describing their experiences of the earthquake together.

Mr Hillary was with a party of his old school-friends about two hours' trek from base camp having lunch in Gorakshep when the ground started to shake.

Mr Tenzing had been leading a group of 10 young Indian women, winners of a competition whose prize was a trek to the base camp. They had reached the bottom of the mountain beneath Tengboche on Saturday morning.