On this day, 05 April in 1970, a devastating ice avalanche struck the Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest—one of the most treacherous sections of the mountain. The disaster occurred at an elevation of around 5,700 meters, between Base Camp and Camp I, when a massive block of ice collapsed without warning, triggering a deadly cascade that swept through the route used by climbers and support teams.

Six Nepalese Sherpas were killed instantly in the avalanche, all of whom were part of the Japanese Everest Skiing Expedition supporting Yuichiro Miura’s attempt to ski down Everest. The victims were Mima Norbu, Nima Dorje, Tshering Tarkey, Pasang, Kunga Norbu, and Kami Tshering.

The expedition itself went on despite the loss, and Miura ultimately completed his historic ski descent from high on Everest, but the achievement was forever marked by the lives lost along the way, reminder that on mountains, success and sacrifice often walk side by side.