🔗 Share this article

Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, including scores of native guides and animal tenders, officials reported. This wraps up one of the biggest rescue and recovery efforts ever undertaken in the region.

Massive Rescue Operation Completed

Numerous of hikers were became trapped in deep snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce snowstorm unleashed heavy 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, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Initial updates had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 individuals were projected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, along with more than 300 escorts, animal handlers, and other crew members were rescued, according to government statements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Recount Extreme Situations

One from China hiker shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, obliging them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They opted to descend on Sunday as the situation deteriorated.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we learned the snow was heavy in the valley, too; villagers, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The snowstorm also thwarted the objectives of climbers escorted by a US-based expedition firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by western travelers a century ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant visitor destination, the area has brought in an rising number of visitors. More than 540,000 tourists traveled to the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Region Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be temporarily inaccessible to the public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also affected hundreds of hikers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one individual succumbed, due to a mix of exposure and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with typically sunny and mild weather, but one trekker of an 18-person trekking group that made it back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “atypical.”