Tuesday, October 7

BEIJING, Oct 7 (Reuters) – More than 200 trekkers still stranded in freezing temperatures near the eastern face of Everest in Tibet are expected to be evacuated by Tuesday, a source familiar with the situation said, after unexpectedly strong snowstorms tore across western China.

BEIJING: Outdoor enthusiasts have flocked to China’s rugged interior since an eight-day holiday began on Oct 1, but a sudden blizzard over the weekend caught off guard hundreds of hikers hoping to catch a glimpse of Everest’s Kangshung face.

Their evacuation, which began on Monday (Oct 6), should be completed by Tuesday, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity in the absence of authorisation to speak to media on the matter. Tibet’s regional government had no immediate comment.

FOLLOWING FOOTPRINTS IN HEAVY SNOW

Snow fell through Saturday in Tibet’s remote Karma valley, at an average altitude of 4,200m. On Sunday, rescuers guided about 350 stranded hikers to safety.

“Thankfully, some people ahead of us were breaking trail, leaving footprints we could follow – that made it a little easier,” said Eric Wen, 41, adding that he trudged through 19km, most of it heavy snow, to leave the valley.

“Otherwise, it would’ve been impossible for us to make it out on our own.”

There had been no official word on the condition of the remaining trekkers as of Tuesday evening, even though Chinese state media reported that communication with them had been established.

“If there is bad weather coming in, trekkers and climbers should alert local authorities exactly where they are and should stay in a safe place – either a shelter, lodge, or tent that is clear of avalanche zones or far from the riverbed or somehow sheltered,” British mountaineer Adriana Brownlee told Reuters.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/remainng-trekkers-stranded-mount-everest-tibet-evacuated-5387566

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