There was already a group of 10 British trekkers camped at Kharta Chu, led by Stephen Venables who climbed the Everest East Kangshung Face in 1988. In his group was Bill Norton, son of Edward Norton, the British mountaineer on the ill-fated 1924 British Everest Expedition. Norton attained a height of 8572m (28126 feet), an altitude record without oxygen not surpassed until 1978 by Reinhold Messner. Stephen’s wish at the end of his Everest climb had come true, as written in his book, “I hoped that I might return one day to this magical valley for a real holiday, with no commitment to high-altitude masochism, free to rock climb and explore and hunt for flowers.” This photo is from later in the trip at Lhasa Airport.