British Columbia

Nepal earthquake: B.C. mountaineer Pat Morrow offering free e-book to help raise funds

Accomplished Canadian mountaineer Pat Morrow has made his multimedia book, Heart of the Himilaya, free to download until May 31 in hopes of inspiring readers to donate to the rescue efforts in Nepal.

Pat Morrow earned the Order of Canada for his adventures, including years of trekking through the Himalayas

Pat Morrow, right, and his wife Baiba stand at the start of a 600 kilometre, 80-day trek from Annapurna to Everest in 1994. (submitted by Pat Morrow)

Accomplished Canadian mountaineer Pat Morrow has made his multimedia book, Heart of the Himilaya, free to download until May 31 in hopes of inspiring readers to donate to the rescue efforts in Nepal.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated the region over the weekend killing thousands.

"Right now it's the short term help that's going to make a big difference," Morrow told Daybreak South's Chris Walker.

"Kathmandu isn't known as one of the hygienic cities in the world and so right now hygiene and illness, diseases are going to be really the big thing that is worse than the direct injuries."

Morrow was one of the first Canadians to climb Mt. Everest in 1982, and his adventures earned him the Order of Canada in 1987.

Co-written with his wife Baiba Morrow and based on their years of living and trekking through the Himalayas in Nepal and Tibet, the book focuses on the people who live there.

"The Nepali people are known for their warmth and their generosity, but they're also known for their resilience," he said.

"They already live in a fairly severe environment at altitudes that are just as severe as we get here, so I'm thinking they will persevere as they always have done."

Morrow asks anyone who downloads the book to make a minimum $10 donation to the Canadian Red Cross.

To hear the full interview with Pat Morrow, listen to the audio labelled: Pat Morrow makes eBook free to support Nepal relief efforts.