A blizzard in Tibet’s remote Karma valley, which leads to Mount Everest’s eastern Kangshung face, stranded hundreds of trekkers amid unusually heavy snow and rain, Chinese state media reported on Sunday.
According to CCTV, 350 trekkers had been guided to the small township of Qudang as of Sunday, while contact had been established with more than 200 others.
Local authorities said the remaining trekkers would arrive in stages under the guidance of rescuers.
The valley, averaging 4,200 metres in elevation, saw snowfall begin Friday evening and persist through Saturday. The surge coincided with China’s eight-day National Day holiday, drawing hundreds of visitors to the area.
State-backed Jimu News earlier said hundreds of villagers and rescue teams were deployed to clear snow, with nearly 1,000 people initially trapped.
Chen Geshuang, part of an 18-member trekking team, told Reuters the mountains were “so wet and cold” that hypothermia was a real risk.
“The weather this year is not normal… and it happened all too suddenly,” she said, adding that villagers greeted their group on Sunday with warm drinks and shelter.
CCTV did not say whether all local guides and support staff had been accounted for. It was also unclear if trekkers near Everest’s north face in Tibet were affected; October is typically a peak month there, when skies usually clear after the Indian monsoon.
