A Nepali Army helicopter was forced to return without completing a rescue mission near the Ganesh Himal Base Camp due to high-altitude sickness and poor weather conditions. The helicopter had attempted to land multiple times to evacuate the stranded trekkers but was unable to due to poor visibility and difficulties with communication, according to Yubaraj Aryal, the Assistant Chief District Officer of Dhading.
The trekkers, part of a group on a promotional expedition led by Dhading’s Rubi Valley Rural Municipality and the District Forest Office, had been stuck at a location about 1.5 hours below the Ganesh Himal Base Camp. Among the stranded were Bipin Tamang from Rubi Valley and two officials from the District Forest Office, Bishnu Prasad Acharya and Ranger Anusuya Dhungana, who had fallen ill due to the high altitude.
The remaining 11 trekkers managed to reach a location near Hindung, Rubi Valley-4, after walking for six hours. The trekkers had been in the area since Monday night, with the high-altitude conditions causing illness.
Milan Timilsina, a journalist who was part of the trekking group, explained that they were unable to establish phone contact until they walked to a lower altitude. “The group is around 1.5 hours away from the Base Camp, and there is no phone signal. We reached a place with a signal to communicate this morning,” said Timilsina.
The trekking group, which originally included 27 members, had to leave behind 16 trekkers who were ill, while the remaining 11 trekkers continued their journey towards Hindung after walking for 14 hours.
The mission, which aimed to promote tourism in Dhading, highlights the challenges of high-altitude trekking and the importance of ensuring proper preparations in such conditions.
Source: RSS