Hundreds of hikers are still blocked on Mount Everest after brutal blizzard blows

Friday evening, a brutal blizzard struck Tibet and Nepal, failing hundreds of hikers near the eastern face of Mont Everest. While 350 would have been safe, more than 200 are still waiting for rescue on Monday morning.

The Chinese state news site Jimu News reported that hikers had been trapped at an altitude of more than 16,000 feet (4,900 meters), according to the Associated Press. It is almost halfway from the peak of 29,035 feet (8,850 m). On Sunday, the CCTV state broadcaster said that the rescue teams had contacted the remaining 200 hikers and evacuated the others to the small canton of Qudang, about 30 miles from the Tibet of Everest base camp, Reuters reported.

A previous report by Jimu News said hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams had been deployed to help eliminate access to snow at nearly 1,000 hikers trapped on Mount Everest, according to Reuters. Gizmodo contacted the local rescue authorities to clarify this difference in number, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Monday, video surveillance reported that a hiker died of hypothermia and altitude evil in the province of Quinghai, another mountainous region of Western China affected by Blizzard, according to CBS News. 137 others were evacuated in the northern region of the province. The National Mountain Guides Association National Mountain also confirmed that Tejung Park, 46, from South Korea, died on Mera Peak after having disappeared on Saturday in the midst of aggravation of weather conditions.

An unprecedented October blizzard

The storm struck while the hikers flocked on the Tibetan side of Mont Everest during a weekly national holiday in China. The snowfall intensified during the weekend, trapping hikers in the campsites who were quickly buried.

The authorities did not share the totals of snowfall on Monday morning, but the survivors told the Chinese and American media that the snow had stacked 3 feet (1 meter) high and was heavy enough to crush the tents.

“It was the most extreme time I have ever faced in all my hiking experiences, without a doubt,” said Dong Shuchang, a Chinese hiker who survived the test, on Weibo, according to The Guardian. Dong described a “violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope” of Everest.

“It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk,” said Chen Geshuang, another survivor, in Reuters. “This year is not normal. The guide said he had never met such a time in October. And that happened too suddenly.”

In early October is a favorable moment to climb the highest peak in the world, according to the Himalayan director. This window opens after the summer monsoons are recovering, giving way to dry time. Thus, the Blizzard on weekends marks a significant gap compared to the weather of October typical in the Himalayas, pouring strong precipitation on the climbers in a few hours.

Climate change makes Everest more volatile

For decades, mountaineers relied on the predictable weather conditions of Mont Everest to plan their hikes during the timely weather windows. But while greenhouse gas emissions destabilize the climate, time on Everest – and other Himalayan climbing destinations – become more and more erratic.

Research has shown that climate change changes precipitation schemes in the Himalayas, with more extreme storms occurring during the dry autumn season. The rescue mission which is currently taking place on Mont Everest talks about the consequences of such a change. While the increase in global temperatures makes this peak even more dangerous than it is already, climbers, their guides and the tourist industry of Mount Everest will face unprecedented challenges.