Every Single Trekkers Now Out of Danger After Multiple Days Stranded in Severe Winter Storm

Search parties have safely led all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to safety, including scores of local guides and livestock handlers, officials reported. This wraps up one of the biggest search-and-rescue efforts ever seen in the region.

Massive Evacuation Effort Concluded

Several hundred of hikers were left stranded in heavy snow over the weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an unusually powerful blizzard deposited substantial snowfall across the territory.

Snow continued to fall throughout Saturday in the valley, which rests at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had guided approximately 350 hikers to security.

Earlier reports had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other crew members were evacuated, according to authoritative reports released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Recount Severe Conditions

One from China trekker described how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions became more severe.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we found out the snow was deep in the valley, too; community members, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Climbing Plans Thwarted

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

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by international travelers a century ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a major visitor destination, the area has attracted an rising number of visitors. More than 540,000 tourists traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Region Remains Closed

The Everest region remains for the time being inaccessible to the general public, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted hundreds of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler succumbed, due to a mix of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Unusual Weather

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