Every Single Mountaineers Currently Secure After Multiple Days Stranded in Intense Winter Storm

Search parties have safely led all of the remaining trekkers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to a secure location, including hundreds of local guides and animal tenders, authorities announced. This marks the end one of the largest search-and-rescue missions ever conducted in the area.

Massive Rescue Effort Concluded

Numerous of trekkers were became trapped in heavy snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally intense blizzard unleashed substantial snowfall across the region.

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

Earlier reports had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were projected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 escorts, animal handlers, and other support staff were rescued, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday evening.

Survivors Describe Extreme Situations

One from China trekker described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather became more severe.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we learned the snow was heavy in the valley, too; community members, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

The blizzard also disrupted the plans of alpinists led by a United States expedition outfit to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by western adventurers a long time ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a major visitor draw, the area has attracted an growing number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Region Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region is still currently inaccessible to the visitors, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also affected hundreds of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual died, due to a blend of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with typically clear and moderate weather, but one trekker of an 18-person hiking party that made it back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “not normal.”