Every Single Mountaineers Currently Out of Danger After Multiple Days Stranded in Powerful Snowstorm

Emergency crews have escorted all of the last hikers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to safety, along with hundreds of regional escorts and yak herders, authorities reported. This wraps up one of the biggest search-and-rescue missions ever seen in the area.

Massive Evacuation Effort Completed

Several hundred of hikers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the past few days in the remote Karma valley, after an unusually intense snowstorm dumped substantial snowfall across the territory.

Snow persisted 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 a safe zone.

Previous accounts had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were projected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were brought out, according to government announcements released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Describe Severe Situations

One Chinese hiker described how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the situation became more severe.

“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; local residents, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The blizzard also disrupted the goals of mountaineers led by a United States expedition firm to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first explored by western explorers a long time ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor destination, the area has attracted an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, setting a all-time high.

Region Still Closed

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

Wider Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced many of travelers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one individual lost their life, due to a combination of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a high season for the area, with typically fine and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that made it back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “atypical.”