�����ԹϺ���

Maybe you saw , or your uncle Ron sent you one of the . I’m willing to bet that, at some point in the last few days, you learned that several on or near Mount Everest by a massive snowstorm that struck China and Nepal.

, reads the People Magazine ���ٴǰ���.�� reads another.

Perhaps you, like me, stared at these headlines and—referencing your knowledge of the world’s highest peak—came up with some basic follow-up questions: One thousand people were on Mount Everest? In October? WTF?

It’s no secret that mainstream news outlets can sometimes distort or exaggerate the activities that happen on the world’s highest mountains. Thus, I’ve put together a short explainer to help you and Uncle Ron understand this latest Mount Everest drama.

What actually happened with the Everest snowstorm?

On Friday, October 3, a giant storm blew across the Himalayas and dropped feet of snow. In the autonomous region of China known as Tibet, the storm blanketed Mount Everest as well as the mountainous and hilly terrain surrounding it.

Alas, hundreds of day hikers, campers, people on week-long guided backpacking trips, and yak herders were in this region at the time. The snow jammed up roads and trails, and stranded nearly 1,000 of them in the backcountry. Temperatures plummeted to below freezing.

“It was raining and snowing every day, and we did not see Everest at all,” .

Yeah, things got scary, and the Chinese government, local firefighters, and even everyday citizens had to work long hours to get them to safety. A few trekkers reportedly suffered from hypothermia. Hundreds were eventually evacuated to nearby towns, including the tiny village of Qutang.

But in the end, everyone on the Tibet side was saved!

Wait, so none of these people were climbing Mount Everest?

No.

But they were Mount Everest climbers, right?

Nope. They were hikers, with zero intention of ascending the actual Mount Everest.

But were they on Mount Everest?

I suppose it depends on your definition of “on” a mountain. If you define it as I do—being located between the base of the mountain’s prominence and the summit—then no, they were not.

Well, where the heck were they?

They were in campsites and at trailheads in the foothills and valleys near Mount Everest. One area where 350 or so people were trapped is called the Karma Valley, which apparently has fabulous views of Mount Everest’s Kangshung Face. The valley is pretty high—it’s at about 13,800 feet—but of course this is far lower than Mount Everest Base Camp.

Were these people intending to climb Mount Everest?

Sigh, no. Nobody has climbed the Kangshung Face in decades. It’s a sheer wall of rock, and only the best alpinists would even attempt it.

Were they close enough to, like, hit Mount Everest with a rock?

No dude, they were pretty far away from Mount Everest.

Well, what the heck were they doing there?

It turns out lots of people around the world love to go hiking and camping in pristine, mountainous backcountry.

Unfortunately, the storm hit during China’s Golden Week holiday, during which everybody in the entire country gets eight days off of work to celebrate National Day, the official recognition of Mao Zedong proclaiming the People’s Republic of China way back in 1949.

Golden Week is a massive period of travel for the Chinese, and they descend on popular tourism destinations like Macau, Shanghai Disneyland, and yes, Tibet. Thousands of tourists venture into the backcountry to enjoy the fresh air, hike along trails, and snap photos of the world’s highest peak.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to go camping near Mount Everest? The Karma Valley is one of several stunning areas that are popular destinations for hikers. Here’s how describes it: “It is like magic—it will simply keep your eye and mouth open and wonder about the beauty.” I honestly want to book a trip there right this minute.

But, like, one guy died, right?

That’s correct.

�²����������on Mount Everest?

according to multiple media reports, a South Korean climber named Tejung Park, 46, was climbing 21,247-foot Mera Peak in Nepal when the blizzard hit. He went missing and was later found several days later dead near the peak’s summit.

What’s up with Mera Peak?

It’s classified as a “” by the , meaning you can reach the top by hiking. You don’t need to do any technical mountaineering, and the elevation is low enough to reach the top without bottled oxygen.

Is that near Mount Everest?

I mean, it’s closer to Mount Everest than Cincinnati. But it’s still a few days walk from Mera to reach Mount Everest Base Camp. Sometimes people will zip between the two mountains in a helicopter. It’s pretty far from the area where the 350 trekkers were rescued.

�³�����ɱ�����’t these people climbing Mount Everest?

The lion’s share of Mount Everest expeditions happen in May and June, when the weather is calm, temperatures are relatively warm, and the route from Base Camp to the summit is clear.

Over the years, some climbers have ascended Mount Everest in September and October, but this time of year presents meteorological challenges. Every year, the summer monsoon drop tons of snow on the summit, increasing avalanche risk. Hiking through the deep snow drifts above 26,000 feet is torturous and time consuming. Plus, there’s always the looming threat of a massive storm.

So if they �ɱ�����’t on Mount Everest, then they �ɱ�����’t in danger, right?

Not so fast. The high elevation in the Himalayas, when matched with the punishing terrain, prevalence of avalanches, landslides, and floods, means that even somewhat minor weather events can put people into grave danger. According to multiple reports, not everyone on these trekking trips had the correct gear or clothing. The snow was so heavy that people’s tents collapsed. So yeah, these people were in grave danger, even if they �ɱ�����’t trapped in the Death Zone.

So why do some of these media reports say that hundreds of climbers were rescued on Mount Everest?

Those stories got you to click on them, right?