Nearly 1,000 hikers were trapped on Mount Everest when a raging snowstorm hit the eastern slope in Tibet, launching massive rescue efforts, according to Chinese state media.

I have been in contact with American endurance athlete and mountaineer, Tyler Andrews. He has returned to the Khumbu Valley, home of the world’s highest peak. Andrews attempted the speed record on Mt. Everest (29,032 feet) three times last spring.

In the 41 years since the first Australians summitted Mount Everest, the mountain has been transformed into a tourist attraction. Does the original magic still exist?