Every Single Trekkers Now Safe Following Days Trapped in Intense Blizzard

Rescue teams have escorted all of the remaining hikers near the eastern slopes of Everest in Tibet to security, including scores of regional escorts and yak herders, authorities stated. This wraps up one of the most extensive rescue and recovery operations ever undertaken in the zone.

Massive Rescue Effort Concluded

Several hundred of trekkers were left stranded in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally intense blizzard deposited heavy snowfall across the territory.

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

Earlier reports had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were anticipated to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, coupled with more than 300 guides, yak herders, and other crew members were evacuated, according to official reports released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Describe Harsh Situations

One Chinese hiker recalled how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, forcing them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

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

Climbing Schedules Disrupted

The snowstorm also disrupted the objectives of mountaineers escorted by a United States climbing company to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by international travelers a century ago. In recent years, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant tourism destination, the area has attracted an rising number of tourists. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, establishing a unprecedented number.

Area Still Closed

The Everest region remains for the time being off-limits to the public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of hikers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual lost their life, due to a mix of hypothermia and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with normally clear and mild weather, but one trekker of an 18-person trekking group that got back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “not normal.”