BRITISH tourists have been rescued from a Himalayan valley after a massive snowstorm left them trapped for three days.
Brits Catherine Jane Wilson, 53, Emily Jane Coates, 44, and Irishwoman Mary Reape, 65, got trapped more than 5,000 feet up Nepal’s Dhaulagiri Circuit after a freak blizzard cut off their ascent route.
Hundreds of hikers from around the world try to tackle The Dhaulagiri Circuit to reach one of the world’s tallest peaks at nearly 27,000 feet.
The Nepalese army were called in to join a three-day-long mission, and the trio were airlifted to safety on Wednesday along with 12 trekking guides from Secret Himalaya Trade and Expedition Travel Agency.
They are all in a stable condition, Nepalese authorities said.
But efforts to fetch the tourists were hampered by freak conditions in Nepal’s Mustang region.
The blizzard struck last Monday before it raged through the night and intensified on Wednesday.
Nanda Ram Pariyar, a local government spokesperson, said: “We could not establish contact. We did not have any clue where to send the rescue helicopter.”
The group only had enough supplies to last for two more days – and they were “barely able to walk” when they were discovered, authorities said.
Local tour companies say the blizzard was down to “unpredictable and intense” snowfall due to sudden weather changes in the Autumn season.
