One is a Victorian made to feel "10 feet tall" by the belief of a stranger. The other is a Sherpa man whose world was shattered by the deadly power of the earthquake that struck Nepal in April.

Sam McCardel​ and Pema Tendi Sherpa – Sherpa by name, ethnicity and occupation – have been firm friends since they met 18 months ago, but only in the past three months has Mr McCardel been able to repay his friend's kindness.

Mr McCardel was at a low ebb when he went to Nepal in 2013. He had been through a bruising and protracted legal battle over business, and although he won the case he desperately needed a break. With friends, he set off on a trekking holiday to Kathmandu, determined to make his mark on the place.

While friends trekked to Everest Base Camp, Mr McCardel set his sights on the imposing Island Peak, an arresting 6165 metres above sea level (about three-quarters the height of Mt Everest). By a twist of fate, he met Mr Sherpa, who assured the Australian he had what it took to tackle the tougher trek.

"It made me feel 10 feet tall," Mr McCardel said later. "It's just the fact of someone having faith in you – before that I'd had a rough few years."

Buoyed by his experience, Mr McCardel returned to Australia and kept in touch with Mr Sherpa. They swapped photographs and made plans for Mr McCardel to return (a keen trekker, he has previously tackled the Kokoda trail and Mt Kilimanjaro).

And then the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck.

Mr Sherpa was in Kathmandu with his wife and four-year-old daughter when he felt the earth crack and shudder beneath his feet. A wave of nausea hit him.

He had felt earthquakes before, but this was different. "This time it was continuing – more than 400 times it was coming." A second earthquake on May 12, measuring 7.4, further devastated the region.

In Mr Sherpa's home village of Soloban –  a two-day bus journey 300km from Kathmandu, followed by a two-day trek into the remote foothills –  27 of 107 homes were destroyed. Mr Sherpa and others managed to procure plastic sheeting from Kathmandu over the coming weeks to act as temporary roofing.

With only walking access to the village, it will cost $1000 to buy and deliver iron cladding for each roof of a collapsed home (the cast iron will be carried in on foot).

But like so many others in Nepal, Mr Sherpa had lost not only much of his village but also his capacity to work and earn. Tourism has simply dried up.

So he called in the favour. Mr McCardel brought Mr Sherpa to Australia on a short visit to raise awareness of the devastation wrought by the earthquakes, and to raise a little money to help.

In November, Mr McCardel will return to Nepal to tackle Mount Mera, a summit stretching 6476m above sea level, with Mr Sherpa acting as guide. He is looking for other Australians to join him. It is one of several ventures that will raise money for Mr Sherpa's shattered village.

" I am so grateful for the lift when I needed it," Mr McCardel said. "He was there for me and helped me. I am pleased to be able to return the favour."

★ To join the trek, or to donate, email Mr McCardel at slmc@netspace.net.au