Family relieved Nepal trekker safe

"A bit of an earthquake ... I'm OK" was the message the family of a Bunbury man received while he was trekking in Nepal during Saturday's earthquake.

Luke Grieve was four days into a 30-day trek when the 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the impoverished Himalayan nation.

Mr Grieve was among 36 West Australian's in Nepal at the time of the quake - with all 36 now accounted for.

The 33-year-old was trekking on Mount Ama Dablam in the Mount Everest region when he felt "the earth shake".

Bunbury resident Jackie Larsen, who is Mr Grieve's aunty, said the "experienced rock climber" contacted his family hours after the earthquake.

"I was just relieved to know he was safe and he had been in contact," she said.

"We're still obviously concerned about his safety, as we no longer have contact with him."

Mrs Larsen said Mr Grieve asked his family for details about the earthquake because he was stranded and unaware of the extent of what had happened.

When the family last spoke to Mr Grieve, he and his expedition group was leaving the area, but Mrs Larsen was not sure where they were headed.

She said it was the second trip Mr Grieve had made to Nepal in about three years.

"He's the kind of person who loves a bit of adventure and he's climbed a few smaller mountains over there before," she said.

Mr Grieve had planned to continue travelling following the trek before returning home around June.

He told his family on Sunday, aftershocks were still hitting the area and yaks were dying around them.

It has been five days since the earthquake and what has been a search and rescue operation is now switching to a recovery operation.

Yesterday the death count had risen to more than 5000, including one reported Australian victim who was at a Mount Everest base camp at the time of the earthquake.

"He's the kind of person who loves a bit of adventure and he's climbed a few smaller mountains over there before" - Jackie Larsen