Nepalese tourism officials traveled to the Mount Everest base camp today to negotiate with sherpas angry over pay and conditions.

After an avalanche last Friday killed 16 of the mountain guides, a festering resentment has emerged over their pay and treatment and many have already walked out.

“The objective of this trip is to attempt to avert the shutdown of the mountaineering season and convince the sherpas not to cancel their climb,” said Keshav Pandey of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal.

But at least three major companies have already cancelled their climbs.

Nepal’s government had appeared to agree to some of the sherpas’ claims on Tuesday.

It had said it would pay the families of each sherpa who died 40,000 rupees (£244).

But the sherpas said they deserved far more, including more financial aid for victims’ families.

They have demanded at least 30 per cent of license fees be set aside in a trust fund.