🔗 Share this article

Rescue teams have safely led all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to security, along with numerous of native guides and yak herders, authorities reported. This wraps up one of the most extensive rescue and recovery efforts ever seen in the area.

Massive Rescue Operation Concluded

Numerous of trekkers were left stranded in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce snowstorm dumped substantial snowfall across the region.

Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which sits at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had led approximately 350 hikers to safety.

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

In total, 580 trekkers, along with more than 300 escorts, livestock herders, and other assistants were evacuated, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Describe Harsh Conditions

One Chinese traveler recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather became more severe.

“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; community members, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Expedition Plans Thwarted

The snowstorm also thwarted the plans of mountaineers escorted by a US-based 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 Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign adventurers a century ago. In recent years, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor destination, the area has attracted an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, establishing a all-time high.

Area Still Closed

The Everest region is still temporarily off-limits to the public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of trekkers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person died, due to a mix of low body temperature and acute mountain sickness.

Unusual Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with normally fine and mild weather, but one member of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “not normal.”