MYAGDI: Fifteen trekkers, including three British women and twelve Nepali nationals, have been stranded in the Hidden Valley area of the Dhaulagiri Circuit Trail after continuous snowfall blocked the route connecting Myagdi to Mustang via Dhaulagiri Himal.
According to Myagdi’s Chief District Officer Badri Prasad Tiwari, the group was trekking from Mudi in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality–4, Myagdi, toward Marpha in Mustang through the Italian Base Camp when heavy snowfall buried parts of the trail since Monday night.
The trekkers, currently sheltering at around 5,100 meters between Dhaulagiri and Sita Himal, are reported to be safe. “The British trekkers, who had joined the expedition through Kathmandu-based Secret Himalaya Trek and Expedition, requested a helicopter rescue on Tuesday evening as walking became increasingly difficult,” CDO Tiwari said. “They remain in contact and are safe as of Wednesday morning.”
Efforts to send rescue teams from Myagdi and Mustang district administrations and security agencies have been hampered by ongoing snowfall, officials said. Rescue operations will proceed by air or land once weather conditions improve.
There are no hotels or houses in the area where the trekkers are stranded. According to Secret Himalaya’s manager, Binay Lama, the British citizens, Mary Rippe, Catherine Wilson, and Emily Katz, are among those in the Hidden Valley. Their guides have requested assistance via satellite phone.
“Helicopter rescue is only possible once the weather clears and visibility improves,” Lama said. “If the snow melts and the route becomes visible, they may be able to walk toward a safer area.” Communication networks and internet services are unavailable in the region.
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