Those that came before are never far from my mind here on Everest.

At times you can feel their presence in the very landscape, watching, looking, listening, sometimes warning.

Some are the legends - Mallory and Irvine, Marty Hoey, Boardman and Tasker - and some, like Tsewang Paljor and David Sharp are from the modern era.

But still, their voices speak, their presence is felt, their lessons begging to be heeded.

While seemingly morbid, I like to visit here on Memorial Hill, to remind myself of the stories of those who came before, their successes and failures, and the messages of humility and caution they silently scream from the ether.

May the past inform the present and future.