All Trekkers Rescued After Everest Blizzard in Tibet

All remaining trekkers stranded near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet have been safely evacuated, authorities confirmed on Tuesday, bringing to an end one of the largest search and rescue operations ever conducted in the region.

Over the weekend, hundreds of hikers became trapped in deep snow in the remote Karma Valley after an unusually powerful blizzard blanketed the area, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 metres. Heavy snowfall continued throughout October 4, leaving trekkers, local guides and yak herders isolated for days.

By October 5, rescue teams had already guided around 350 people to safety, and by Tuesday the remaining 200 or so had also been evacuated. In total, 580 trekkers and more than 300 guides, herders and support staff were rescued, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.

Major Rescue Effort Ends Safely

The snowstorm disrupted several expeditions, including a team from US-based Madison Mountaineering that had been planning to summit Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest peak, which straddles the border between China and Nepal.

Karma Valley, first explored by Western travellers a century ago, has become a growing tourism destination in recent years thanks to the development of Tibet’s Everest region. More than 540,000 tourists visited the area last year, marking a new record.

For now, the Everest region remains closed to visitors, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys and Cho Oyu itself, as authorities work to assess conditions and clear affected routes.

The same weather system also impacted several other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai and Gansu provinces, stranding hundreds more hikers. At least one fatality has been reported, caused by a combination of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.