Three British women and twelve Nepali trekking staff have been stranded for the past two days in the remote Hidden Valley of Mustang district in western Nepal following heavy snowfall, according to the Mustang District Administration Office.

According to Binay Lama, director of Sacred Himalaya Treks and Expedition, the stranded British nationals are Catherine Wilson and Emily Jene and Irish Mary Reape. The twelve Nepali guides and porters are Dirgalal Lama, Nimaraj Lama, Maandhoj Lama, Navin Lama, Tashi Sherpa, Tshering Tamang, Sonam Tamang, Nima Lama, Kaila Tamang, Buddharaj Tamang, Kanchhaman Tamang, and Dorje Tamang.

The group has been trapped since Monday (October 27) in areas above Marfa Valley, also known as the Hidden Valley—an isolated high-altitude basin beneath Tukuche Peak in the Dhaulagiri range.

The Hidden Valley, beneath Tukuche Peak, is a remote area popular among adventure trekkers but notorious for its unpredictable weather and challenging terrain. Autumn is one of Nepal’s busiest trekking seasons, drawing thousands of trekkers to routes such as the Annapurna Base Camp, Manaslu, and Langtang circuits.

The company had requested permission for a Nepal Army helicopter rescue, saying it will bear the full cost of the evacuation. “We have not been able to fly so far due to poor weather conditions on Tuesday. The team could not be contacted the next day,” said Nepal Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet.

Deputy Chief District Officer Nanda Ram Pariyar said a joint rescue team comprising members of security agencies is on its way to the valley to rescue them. “The rescue team will soon reach the site,” he told Everest Chronicle.

Binay said his team has been living in their tents for the past three days. “We have enough supplies to last for two more days,” he said, adding that he was hopeful a rescue team would reach them by today.

Heavy snowfall has swept across much of the Nepal Himalayas in recent days, affecting several trekking routes and prompting authorities to issue alerts for possible landslides, snowstorms, and road closures.

Nepal’s major trekking destinations—including the Everest, Manaslu, Annapurna, and Makalu regions—have been temporarily closed. The high hills and Himalayan areas have experienced heavy snowfall and rainfall since Monday.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the precipitation is linked to cyclone Montha, which formed in the Bay of Bengal. Rainfall across the country is expected to continue until Saturday.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring Manang district, at least 1,500 domestic and several foreign trekkers were rescued on Wednesday from Tilicho Lake (4,919m), following sudden snowfall.

Deputy Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Poudel said around 15 Nepali trekkers still remain stranded at the lake’s base camp. “They were left behind while others continued to descend to the village,” he said.

Tilicho Lake is a popular trekking destination, attracting an average of 2,500 visitors per day. According to records from the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), at least 4,760 foreign trekkers visited the lake this October alone.

Trekkers often visit Tilicho Lake before crossing the Thorong La Pass to reach Mustang’s well-known destinations of Muktinath, Kagbeni, and then upper Mustang, following the Annapurna Circuit route.