🔗 Share this article

Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the last hikers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with hundreds of regional escorts and yak herders, local government reported. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever undertaken in the area.

Massive Evacuation Operation Concluded

Numerous of trekkers were became trapped in thick snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce snowstorm dumped substantial snowfall across the area.

Snow continued to fall throughout Saturday in the valley, which is located at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had led approximately 350 hikers to security.

Earlier reports had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were anticipated to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were brought out, according to government statements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Describe Extreme Situations

One Chinese trekker recalled how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to move to lower ground on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we realized the snow was intense in the valley, too; local residents, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Climbing Schedules Disrupted

The severe weather also hindered the objectives of mountaineers guided by a United States mountaineering outfit to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by foreign travelers a long time ago. In modern times, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a major visitor attraction, the area has attracted an rising number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, establishing a all-time high.

Region Remains Closed

The Everest region is still currently inaccessible to the general public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The significant snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of travelers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler died, due to a blend of exposure and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with usually clear 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 “unusual.”