All Hikers Currently Secure Following Multiple Days Trapped in Powerful Snowstorm

Rescue teams have escorted all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including hundreds of local guides and yak herders, officials stated. This wraps up one of the largest rescue and recovery missions ever undertaken in the zone.

Massive Evacuation Operation Completed

Numerous of hikers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an unusually powerful snowstorm deposited significant snowfall across the territory.

Snow persisted throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had escorted approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Initial updates had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other crew members were evacuated, according to government statements released on Tuesday evening.

Survivors Recount Severe Situations

One from China trekker recalled how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather worsened.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we learned the snow was deep in the valley, too; villagers, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Climbing Plans Thwarted

The blizzard also disrupted the objectives of alpinists led by a American climbing firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first discovered by western adventurers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism attraction, the area has drawn an increasing number of visitors. More than 540,000 sightseers explored the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Region Still Off-Limits

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

Broader Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also affected hundreds of hikers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one person died, due to a combination of exposure and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with typically fine and pleasant weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”