Every Single Trekkers Now Safe After Multiple Days Trapped in Intense Blizzard

Emergency crews have escorted all of the remaining adventurers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to security, along with numerous of local guides and livestock handlers, local government reported. This marks the end one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever undertaken in the zone.

Large-Scale Evacuation Effort Concluded

Hundreds of explorers were left stranded in heavy snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly intense blizzard unleashed substantial 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, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Previous accounts had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 guides, yak herders, and other support staff were brought out, according to authoritative reports released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Recount Extreme Situations

One Chinese trekker shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the situation worsened.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we found out the snow was heavy in the valley, too; community members, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The severe weather also hindered the objectives of climbers escorted by a United States mountaineering outfit to summit 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 Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by international travelers a century ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant tourism attraction, the area has brought in an rising number of travelers. More than 540,000 tourists traveled to the Everest region last year, establishing a new record.

Region Remains Closed

The Everest region is still for the time being inaccessible to the visitors, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The heavy 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 lost their life, due to a mix of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with usually clear and pleasant weather, but one member of an 18-person expedition team that made it back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “not normal.”