🔗 Share this article

Emergency crews have safely led all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to security, including hundreds of native guides and yak herders, officials stated. This marks the end one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever seen in the region.

Large-Scale Evacuation Effort Completed

Several hundred of trekkers were became trapped in deep snow over the past few days in the remote Karma valley, after an exceptionally intense snowstorm deposited substantial snowfall across the territory.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which rests at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had guided approximately 350 hikers to security.

Earlier reports had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, along with more than 300 escorts, yak herders, and other support staff were brought out, according to official announcements released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Describe Severe Conditions

One from China hiker described how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather worsened.

“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; villagers, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Climbing Schedules Thwarted

The blizzard also hindered the objectives of alpinists led by a US-based climbing company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by foreign travelers a hundred years ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel attraction, the area has drawn an increasing number of tourists. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Region Remains Closed

The Everest region continues to be currently off-limits to the general public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The intense snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual lost their life, due to a combination of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with normally fine and pleasant weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “unusual.”