🔗 Share this article

Emergency crews have safely led all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to safety, along with hundreds of local guides and yak herders, officials reported. This marks the end one of the most extensive rescue and recovery operations ever conducted in the region.

Massive Rescue Operation Concluded

Hundreds of trekkers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unexpectedly powerful winter blast dumped substantial snowfall across the area.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which sits at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had escorted approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Initial updates had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were projected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other support staff were evacuated, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Recount Severe Conditions

One from China trekker described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They decided to move to lower ground 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 heavy in the valley, too; local residents, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Climbing Plans Disrupted

The severe weather also disrupted the plans of mountaineers guided by a United States mountaineering firm to ascend 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.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by foreign adventurers a long time ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant visitor draw, the area has drawn an rising number of tourists. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Area Remains Closed

The Everest region is still for the time being closed to the public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

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

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with usually clear and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “unusual.”