More than 200 hikers who remain stranded in subzero temperatures near the east side of Everest in Tibet is expected to be evacuated by today, a source with knowledge of the situation said.

Outdoor enthusiasts have flocked to the Chinese mainland since Oct. 1 as part of an eight-day holiday, but a sudden snowstorm over the weekend caught hundreds of trekkers hoping to get a closer look at the Kangshung side of Mount Everest by sixpence.

Their hasty removal, which began on Monday, should be completed by today, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media on the matter. Tibet’s regional government has not commented on the matter.

Following tracks on the snow

Snowfall occurred on Saturday in Tibet’s remote Karma Valley, at an average altitude of 4,200 meters. On Sunday, rescue teams led some 350 trapped trekkers to safety.

“Fortunately, some people ahead of us were opening up trails, leaving tracks we could follow, so that made it a little easier,” said Eric Wen, 41, adding that he painstakingly walked a distance of 19 kilometers, most of it covered in thick snow, to get out of the valley.

“Otherwise, it would have been impossible for us to make it on our own,” he added.

There was no official update on the status of the remaining hikers as of this evening local time, even though Chinese state media reported that communication with them had been restored.

“If bad weather is forecast, hikers and climbers should warn local authorities exactly where they are and they should stay in a safe place, either a shelter, a guesthouse, a tent that is far from avalanche-affected areas or away from riverbeds…” mountaineer Adriana Brownlee explained to Reuters.

“All hikers and climbers should carry at least one satellite phone or tracking device with them at all times.”

The Karma Valley, which was first explored by Western travellers a century ago, is relatively treacherous. It welcomes fewer visitors than the north side of Everest, where there is road access. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, a new record.

“One meter of snow”

The blizzard also upset the climbers’ plan to lead the U.S. team Madison Mountaineering to the 8,188-meter (8,188-foot) summit of Cho Oyu, on China’s border with Nepal, the sixth highest in the world.

“A violent storm developed suddenly and dumped over a foot of snow on Everest and the surrounding Himalayan peaks,” expedition leader Garrett Madison told Reuters in a message sent today.

Once the weather improves, they plan to continue their ascent.