Every Single Mountaineers Currently Secure After Multiple Days Trapped in Intense Snowstorm

Search parties have safely led all of the last adventurers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to a secure location, along with hundreds of regional escorts and yak herders, local government stated. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery missions ever conducted in the area.

Massive Rescue Effort Completed

Several hundred of trekkers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the past few days in the remote Karma valley, after an unexpectedly intense snowstorm dumped significant snowfall across the region.

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

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

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were evacuated, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Describe Extreme Conditions

One Chinese hiker recalled how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, forcing them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to move to lower ground on Sunday as the conditions became more severe.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we realized the snow was heavy in the valley, too; local residents, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also hindered the goals of alpinists led by a United States climbing outfit to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and the nation of Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first explored by international travelers a century ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant travel destination, the area has brought in an increasing number of tourists. More than 540,000 visitors traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Area Still Closed

The Everest region continues to be currently closed to the visitors, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted numerous of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler lost their life, due to a blend of low body temperature and acute mountain sickness.

Unusual Conditions

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