Every Single Hikers Currently Safe After Days Stranded in Intense Snowstorm

Search parties have successfully guided all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to safety, along with hundreds of local guides and livestock handlers, officials announced. This concludes one of the most extensive rescue and recovery operations ever seen in the region.

Massive Rescue Operation Concluded

Several hundred of explorers were left stranded in thick snow over the recent weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly powerful snowstorm unleashed substantial snowfall across the region.

Snow persisted throughout Saturday in the valley, which rests at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had led approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Earlier reports had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were projected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other support staff were evacuated, according to official statements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Extreme Situations

One from China trekker described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the situation worsened.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we found out the snow was intense in the valley, too; community members, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Climbing Plans Disrupted

The blizzard also disrupted the goals of climbers escorted by a US-based expedition outfit to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first explored by foreign explorers a long time ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a major travel draw, the area has attracted an rising number of visitors. More than 540,000 sightseers visited the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Region Still Off-Limits

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

Broader Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual died, due to a blend of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with usually fine and moderate weather, but one participant of an 18-person expedition team that made it back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “not normal.”