All Trekkers Currently Safe After Multiple Days Stranded in Severe Blizzard

Rescue teams have successfully guided all of the remaining adventurers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to security, including scores of regional escorts and livestock handlers, officials reported. This concludes one of the largest rescue and recovery operations ever undertaken in the zone.

Large-Scale Rescue Effort Concluded

Hundreds of explorers were found themselves stuck in heavy snow over the weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unusually fierce blizzard dumped substantial snowfall across the region.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which sits at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to security.

Previous accounts had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were anticipated to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, along with more than 300 guides, animal handlers, and other crew members were brought out, according to official reports released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Extreme Conditions

One from China traveler shared how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to move to lower ground on Sunday as the situation worsened.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we realized the snow was heavy in the valley, too; community members, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Climbing Plans Thwarted

The snowstorm also hindered the goals of climbers escorted by a US-based mountaineering firm to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by international explorers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor attraction, the area has brought in an increasing number of visitors. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, establishing a unprecedented number.

Area Remains Closed

The Everest region remains temporarily closed to the general public, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced many of hikers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one person succumbed, due to a combination of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Unusual Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with normally sunny and pleasant weather, but one member of an 18-person trekking group that made it back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “not normal.”