🔗 Share this article

Rescue teams have safely led all of the remaining trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in Tibet to a secure location, including hundreds of local guides and animal tenders, authorities stated. This wraps up one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever conducted in the area.

Massive Rescue Operation Concluded

Numerous of hikers were found themselves stuck in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unusually powerful snowstorm deposited substantial snowfall across the region.

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

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

In total, 580 mountaineers, coupled with more than 300 guides, livestock herders, and other support staff were brought out, according to official reports released on Tuesday evening.

Survivors Describe Extreme Conditions

One from China trekker described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to descend on Sunday as the situation became more severe.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we learned the snow was intense in the valley, too; local residents, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Climbing Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also thwarted the plans of alpinists guided by a American expedition company to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign explorers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor draw, the area has brought in an rising number of travelers. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, setting a all-time high.

Area Still Closed

The Everest region continues to be for the time being closed to the public, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also affected many of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person succumbed, due to a blend of exposure and high-altitude illness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with usually sunny and pleasant weather, but one trekker of an 18-person expedition team that returned safely to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “not normal.”