Climbers punished after Qinghai mountain peak rescue

Three climbers who had to be rescued after illegally attempting to scale the north slope of Yuzhu Peak in Qinghai province have been punished, according to a statement released by Golmud city authorities.

The incident began in the early hours of May 24, when the three climbers entered the mountain area without approval and began scaling the peak's dangerous north slope, the statement said.

At around 2:30 am, the emergency rescue team in Golmud received a distress call reporting that two male climbers had slipped on a ridge and were missing, while a female climber was stranded at the C2 campsite at an altitude of 5,900 meters.

Golmud's municipal government then coordinated with police, emergency management, fire rescue, culture and tourism authorities, as well as local professional mountaineering rescue teams to launch a 29-hour high-altitude rescue operation.

Rescuers deployed four vehicles and 17 professional rescue personnel equipped with mountaineering gear, drones, satellite communication devices, food supplies and cold-weather equipment. A rescue command center was established at the foot of the mountain to coordinate search efforts and medical support.

After more than 10 hours of searching, rescuers made contact with the two missing men at around 1 pm on May 24 and safely transferred them to the command center. The stranded woman was located at the high-altitude camp shortly after midnight on May 25. She was escorted down the mountain and arrived safely at the command center.

Authorities said the three climbers violated regulations banning unauthorized entry into undeveloped and restricted mountain areas. The organizer of the illegal expedition has been fined, while all three climbers were ordered to compensate rescue teams for costs incurred during the operation.

Some media outlets reported that the incident also disrupted the planned opening of Yuzhu Peak for the summer climbing season, with mountaineering activities now suspended until June 15.

Standing at 6,178 meters in the eastern Kunlun Mountains, Yuzhu Peak is regarded as one of China's most popular entry-level snow mountains for amateur climbers, though its north slope is known for steep terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions.