🔗 Share this article

Search parties have escorted all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in Tibet to security, including scores of native guides and livestock handlers, local government stated. This concludes one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts ever undertaken in the zone.

Massive Rescue Effort Concluded

Several hundred of explorers were left stranded in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly powerful winter blast deposited heavy snowfall across the area.

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

Previous accounts had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 hikers were projected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, along with more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other crew members were rescued, according to authoritative statements released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Recount Harsh Conditions

One from China traveler recalled how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, obliging them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we found out the snow was heavy in the valley, too; community members, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The blizzard also disrupted the goals of climbers escorted by a US-based climbing firm to ascend 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 Growth in the Region

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

Region Still Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be currently inaccessible to the visitors, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The intense snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of hikers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one person lost their life, due to a mix of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally sunny and mild weather, but one member of an 18-person hiking party that got back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “unusual.”