🔗 Share this article

Search parties have safely led all of the remaining trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including numerous of native guides and livestock handlers, local government stated. This concludes one of the biggest search-and-rescue operations ever conducted in the region.

Massive Rescue Operation Completed

Hundreds of trekkers were found themselves stuck in heavy snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce snowstorm deposited heavy snowfall across the territory.

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

Previous accounts had indicated 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 guides, animal handlers, and other assistants were brought out, according to official announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Describe Severe Conditions

One from China trekker recalled how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down 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, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Plans Thwarted

The snowstorm also thwarted the plans of alpinists escorted by a American climbing firm 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 Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by western adventurers a long time ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel attraction, the area has drawn an rising number of tourists. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Region Still Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be currently inaccessible to the general public, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The intense snowfall over the weekend also impacted hundreds of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one person succumbed, due to a blend of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with usually clear and pleasant weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that made it back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “unusual.”