Developing Story·Uttarkashi·Updated 21m ago

136 Trekkers and Porters Stranded by Snowfall in High-Altitude Uttarkashi

Heavy snowfall has stranded 136 mountaineers, trekkers and support staff at high-altitude sites in Uttarkashi district, prompting a district-led rescue effort with helicopters on standby.

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Current Summary

According to a September 27 ETV Bharat report and a further News On AIR report, 179 mountaineers, trekkers and support staff were stranded in high-altitude areas of Uttarakhand due to heavy snowfall — 136 in Uttarkashi district and 43 in Bageshwar district. Of the Uttarkashi total, 89 belong to a high-altitude expedition, 18 are part of a trekking group at the Kalindi Pass base camp, and 29 are at the Auden's Col Pass base camp; the 43 in Bageshwar belong to three separate trekking groups stranded at different locations. Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan confirmed the statewide total at 179 and directed officials to launch helicopter-based rescue operations as soon as weather conditions allow. Following an IMD rainfall alert for Uttarkashi, officials kept JCB machines, food supplies, medicines and alternative communication ready and appealed to residents, tourists and pilgrims to avoid unnecessary travel. Two ambulances and medical teams have been deployed at Harsil for Char Dham pilgrims and trekkers. Forty trekkers stranded at the Kalindi Pass and Auden's Col bases were safely evacuated on September 28, per Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, who said six foreign nationals are among the stranded. Of the 179 total, 40 in Bageshwar are safe and require no evacuation, and eight helicopters have been deployed with a helicopter ambulance on standby. All 29 trekkers stranded in the Auden's Col area were subsequently airlifted to Harsil on September 28 and found to be in normal health after medical checks at an Army hospital. Efforts continue to reach 106 trekkers still stranded across 10 other trekking routes in Uttarkashi, including groups on Mt. Sudarshan, Mt. Bhagirathi-II, Mt. Jogin-I, Mt. Shivling, Mt. Satopanth and Shrikhanth Peak. In a separate rescue, a forest department team brought 121 trekkers stranded by heavy snowfall on the Gaumukh-Tapovan trail in Gangotri National Park safely to Gangotri; the trekkers had been camping in the area for 2-3 days before snowfall began suddenly on Saturday afternoon, and forest inspector Rajveer Rawat said the team worked cautiously through continued snowfall and avalanche risk before completing the evacuation by Sunday evening.

What We Know

136 mountaineers, trekkers and support staff are stranded across high-altitude sites in Uttarkashi due to heavy snowfall.
The stranded include 89 members of a high-altitude expedition, 18 at the Kalindi Pass base camp, and 29 at the Auden's Col Pass base camp.
District Magistrate Prashant Arya has directed disaster management officials to arrange a safe rescue, with aerial reconnaissance planned by helicopter to assess conditions.
Rescue teams have been mobilised across trekking routes and base camps, with helicopter services kept on alert for a possible aerial evacuation.
A September 27 Times of India report puts the total number of trekkers and support staff stranded by weather-related road disruption in Uttarakhand at 179, higher than the 136 figure given by Uttarkashi district officials the same day.
DM Prashant Arya directed SDMs and department officials to remain deployed, with JCB machines, food, medicines and alternative communication arrangements kept ready.
Two ambulances and medical teams have been directed for deployment at Harsil for Char Dham pilgrims and trekkers.
Residents, tourists and pilgrims have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel due to landslide and flooding risk.
Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan confirmed the statewide stranded-trekker total at 179 — 136 in Uttarkashi and 43 in Bageshwar across three groups.
Bardhan ordered helicopter rescues to begin as soon as weather permits, with UCADA arranging sufficient aircraft and every helicopter carrying a satellite phone.
Officials were directed to maintain continuous contact with stranded trekkers and conduct medical exams after rescue.
SDRF has rescued five trekkers from the Kalindi Trail, the first confirmed rescues among the stranded groups.
The Forest Department says all 121 trekkers stranded by snowfall on the Gangotri trek in Uttarakhand have been rescued safely.
On September 28, forty trekkers and expedition members stranded at Kalindi Pass Base and Auden's Col Base in Uttarkashi were safely evacuated.
Many people remain stranded across Uttarkashi and Bageshwar districts, with bad weather continuing to hamper rescue efforts.
Stranded groups are spread across expeditions on Mt. Sudarshan, Mt. Bhagirathi-II, Mt. Jogin-I, Mt. Shivling, Mt. Satopanth and Shrikhanth Peak, and trekking routes including Kalindi Pass and Auden's Col.
Six foreign nationals are among the stranded trekkers.
Of the 179 stranded, 40 in Bageshwar are safe and need no evacuation.
Eight helicopters have been deployed for the rescue, with a helicopter ambulance on standby.
All 29 trekkers stranded at Auden's Col have been airlifted to Harsil and are in normal health.
106 trekkers remain stranded across 10 other routes in Uttarkashi district.
A separate group of 121 trekkers stranded on the Gaumukh-Tapovan trail in Gangotri National Park has been rescued and brought to Gangotri.
The 121 Gaumukh-Tapovan trekkers had been camping in the area for 2-3 days before snowfall began suddenly on Saturday afternoon.
Forest inspector Rajveer Rawat said the rescue team worked through continued snowfall and avalanche risk before completing the evacuation by Sunday evening.

What Is Still Unclear

Whether the planned aerial reconnaissance and any rescue operation have taken place and their outcome.
The current health and safety status of all stranded individuals.
Whether weather conditions have improved enough to permit evacuation.

What Changed

29 Sept, 10:33 pm
Additional detail on the Gaumukh-Tapovan rescue: the 121 trekkers had entered the area 2-3 days before heavy snowfall began suddenly on Saturday afternoon, per forest inspector Rajveer Rawat, who said the Forest Department team worked cautiously amid continuing snowfall and avalanche risk before evacuating everyone to Gangotri by Sunday evening.
29 Sept, 10:12 pm
All 29 trekkers stranded in the Auden's Col area were airlifted to Harsil on September 28, completing that leg of the rescue; they were flown to an Army hospital for medical checks and found to be in normal health, per Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shalini Negi and SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi. Rescue efforts continue for 106 trekkers still stranded across 10 other trekking routes in Uttarkashi district. In a separate operation, a forest department team rescued 121 trekkers stranded by heavy snowfall on the Gaumukh-Tapovan trail in Gangotri National Park and brought them safely to Gangotri.
29 Sept, 10:12 pm
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said six foreign nationals are among the 179 stranded trekkers and expedition members. Of the total, 40 people in Bageshwar are safe and need no evacuation, and 40 more were rescued on Monday, September 28. Twenty trekkers were expected to reach designated points and walk back to base camp by Tuesday, while 40 wished to continue their expeditions. Eight helicopters have been deployed and a helicopter ambulance kept on standby, with the rescue operation scheduled to resume at 6 am Tuesday. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the operation.
29 Sept, 09:42 pm
On September 28, forty trekkers and expedition members stranded at the high-altitude Kalindi Pass Base and Auden's Col Base in Uttarkashi were safely evacuated, per Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman. Officials said many people remain stranded in Uttarkashi and Bageshwar districts, with continuing bad weather hampering further rescue operations. The stranded groups are spread across expeditions on Mt. Sudarshan, Mt. Bhagirathi-II, Mt. Jogin-I, Mt. Shivling, Mt. Satopanth and Shrikhanth Peak, besides the Kalindi Pass and Auden's Col trekking routes.
29 Sept, 09:33 pm
ETV Bharat reports the Forest Department has rescued all 121 trekkers who were trapped by heavy snowfall on the Gangotri trek in Uttarkashi district, bringing them safely to lower elevations. It is unclear how this figure relates to the previously reported subgroups (the 89-member high-altitude expedition and trekking parties at the Kalindi Pass and Auden's Col base camps).
29 Sept, 09:33 pm
The Times of India reports the SDRF has begun rescue operations, bringing out five trekkers from the Kalindi Trail as a weather window allowed limited movement.
29 Sept, 09:13 pm
Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan has confirmed the statewide total at 179 stranded trekkers, comprising the 136 in Uttarkashi previously reported plus 43 trekkers from three groups stranded in Bageshwar district. Bardhan has directed officials to launch helicopter-based rescue operations as soon as weather conditions allow, instructed UCADA to ensure sufficient helicopters and arrange additional aircraft if needed, and ordered that every rescue helicopter carry a satellite phone. Officials have been told to maintain continuous contact with all stranded trekkers and to conduct medical examinations after their rescue.
29 Sept, 08:42 pm
Uttarkashi administration issued a fresh high-alert advisory ahead of a new IMD rainfall warning, detailing rescue-readiness measures including ambulance deployment at Harsil for Char Dham pilgrims and trekkers.
29 Sept, 08:31 pm
A September 27 Times of India report puts the number of trekkers and support staff stranded by weather-disrupted roads across Uttarakhand at 179, higher than the 136 figure given by Uttarkashi district officials on the same day. It is unclear whether this reflects an expanded statewide tally or overlaps with the Uttarkashi count.
29 Sept, 08:12 pm
Signal detected: 136 Trekkers and Porters Stranded by Snowfall in High-Altitude Uttarkashi