Yesterday (25 September), the search and rescue operation for the U.S. citizen who failed to return from climbing Altai Tavan Bogd Mountain had to be suspended due heavy snow fall in. It is now eight days since the 40-year-old went missing in Bayan-Ulgii, the westernmost province of Mongolia. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the search team had to return to camp due to continuous snow, which had been falling for five hours on Altai Tavan Bogd Mountain. Nine officers from NEMA with one special vehicle have been involved in the operation on the mountain since 23 September.

According to ‘Altai Tour’ Travel Company, based in Bayan-Ulgii Province, the man began climbing the mountain with five other tourists, 180 km north of Tsengel Soum on 18 September. However, he was travelling alone without a guide or travel agency support.  According to one source, the five others failed to find him when they reached the top of the mountain. Subsequently, an employee of the travel company informed NEMA about the missing man at 10.11 pm on 21 September.

The stunning Altai Tavan Bogd National Park follows Mongolia’s western border with China and Russia, and is the greatest attraction in the west of the country. This summer it was climbed by many foreign visitors, including the US president’s son and grandson. The mountain is 185 km from the town of Ulgii, which is the provincial centre..