Every Single Mountaineers Currently Out of Danger After Multiple Days Stranded in Severe Winter Storm

Rescue teams have escorted all of the last adventurers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, along with hundreds of local guides and animal tenders, officials stated. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever seen in the area.

Massive Evacuation Operation Completed

Hundreds of trekkers were left stranded in heavy snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce snowstorm unleashed heavy snowfall across the area.

Snow continued to fall throughout Saturday in the valley, which is located at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Earlier reports had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 escorts, livestock herders, and other assistants were evacuated, according to official statements released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Describe Severe Situations

One from China traveler shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, obliging them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

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

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

The snowstorm also thwarted the plans of mountaineers led by a American mountaineering outfit to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by international travelers a long time ago. In modern times, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a major visitor draw, the area has brought in an rising number of visitors. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Area Still Off-Limits

The Everest region is still temporarily inaccessible to the general public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The significant snowfall over the weekend also impacted hundreds of hikers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one person succumbed, due to a combination of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Unusual Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with normally sunny and mild weather, but one trekker of an 18-person expedition team that made it back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “atypical.”