800 trekkers, guides and porters rescued in China after stranded by Everest blizzard

CCTV reported on Tuesday night that 580 trekkers and more than 300 local guides and yak porters had “safely reached” a relocation point in Qudang in the Tibet autonomous region, and arrangements were being made for them to return home.

A further dozen hikers, helped by rescue personnel sent from Tingri county, had reached a rendezvous point on the descent, the report said.

The trekkers were stranded when a rare blizzard struck the trekkers’ camps in the remote Gama Valley, which is home to the largest and best-preserved primeval forest in the Everest area and lies between Tingri and Dinggye counties.

The eastern face of Mount Everest, known in China as Qomolangma, can be seen after trekking around 40km (25 miles) from Gama Valley. However, only yaks and mules can be used to transport supplies on this route, with a round trip taking about 10 days to complete.

According to the Chengdu-based National Business Daily, the climbers’ tents were crushed and over a metre (3.2 feet) of snow accumulated at the camps, cutting off all descent routes.