Snowstorm Traps 1,000 People on Mt. Everest, Rescue Efforts Underway

Hundreds of people are scrambling to Mount Everest as part of a rescue operation after a snowstorm trapped over 1,000 people on the famed mountain.

The blizzard began on Friday night before intensifying over the weekend, leading to whiteout conditions on the eastern side of the mountain.

Due to its unique geographical location, the north and east side of Everest are in Tibet, while the south and west sides are in Nepal. The south side of the mountain has better infrastructure and is more popular, but also carries risks of overcrowding and technical dangers, like the infamous Khumbu Icefall.

Meanwhile, the north side of the mountain requires less permits to climb because of Tibet's relaxed rules, and the pathway from there is more direct and less technically challenging. Nevertheless, helicopter rescue from the north side is not possible, so it is usually preferred by independent or highly advanced climbers.

Furthermore, the snowstorm struck during Golden Week, a weeklong celebration to commemorate China's founding in 1949– because of the national holiday, Golden Week also happens to be the perfect time for tourism across China, leading to an influx of climbers at Everest. Because of this, when a blizzard struck the northeastern side of the mountain over the weekend, it quickly became a major issue.

By the time many climbers woke up in the morning, the snow was already about three feet deep, covering the entire campsite. Some groups immediately decided to turn back, escaping the blizzard before the situation worsened.

However, others stayed back to push through the conditions, forcing them to constantly clear the snow to avoid a tent collapse. Additionally, numerous hikers ended up suffering from hypothermia despite being fully dressed in thick ski parkas and warm gear.

Now, rescuers are rushing from across the region to try and evacuate the climbers to the nearby town of Qudang, but it is proving to be a tough, arduous process. Rescue operations have been hindered by the heavy snowfall, forcing them to clear several feet of snow just to take a step forward. The continuous whiteout conditions have also led to low visibility and treacherous conditions, and helicopter evacuation is not possible from the north side.

So far, rescuers have taken around 350 people to Qudang, but they are in contact with at least 200 others who are still trapped on the mountain.

The incident comes amid a slew of problems that Everest has faced in recent years, primarily overcrowding and environmental carelessness. Many climbers continue to leave trash all over the mountain, posing a hazard for other hikers and the natural wildlife, which is surprisingly biodiverse. Additionally, more and more people flock to the mountain each year to attempt a climb, leading to major overcrowding problems on more popular routes on the south side.

Unfortunately, climbing the mountain and many other famous peaks will soon be much more dangerous, as climate change is melting glaciers and reducing snowfall in mountainous regions. As the ice and snow melt, they give way to loose gravel and rocks underneath, making the trek up Everest even more dangerous.

And the process isn't happening slowly. Everest's South Col Glacier has lost around 180 feet of thickness in just 25 years– ice that took around 2,000 years to form. Scientists predict that the glacier could completely disappear within the next 20-50 years, and 99% of Everest's glaciers could be gone by the year 2100 if emissions are not reduced.

Everest's melting glaciers and snowfall are also just one mountain– the entire Himalayan mountain range is suffering from these climate change-related issues, and their snowmelt provides clean water to over 1 billion people across China, Nepal, India, and Bhutan. This is simply yet another sign that the world is suffering from emissions and human-related problems, and action needs to be taken now to stop climate change from destroying our beautiful planet.

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Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Don’t pray for lighter burdens, but for stronger backs. (Buddha)

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Image credit to the The Guardian