mountaineering

Whitney from this point on in the winter season should bring crampons — much larger spikes that attach firmly to mountaineering boots and dig deep into snow and ice to prevent falls – and an ice axe.

The Himalayan nation is home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of climbers every year, making mountaineering a lucrative business.

He joined the 35-member expedition as a porter despite no prior mountaineering experience.

Hundreds now follow in his footsteps to the summit of Everest each year, fuelling a multimillion-dollar mountaineering industry.

Given this is the favoured season, frequent storms like this have "hampered our trekking and mountaineering business," he added.