Rescuers Walk 16km Through Fog to Save Stranded Climbers in Inner Mongolia
Three tourists were rescued from a mountain in Inner Mongolia after sudden fog and heavy rain reduced visibility to less than ten metres, leaving them stranded near the summit of Bayan Songbur Peak, a rugged and photogenic spot in the Alxa Left Banner region.
The drama unfolded on the evening of 19 September, when the group was climbing the peak near Nansi, a forested area popular with hikers for its dramatic ridges and sweeping views. Mountain weather in the region is famously fickle, and within a short time the summit was swallowed by dense fog while rain hammered the slopes. With the trail slick and invisible, the visitors lost their bearings and could not find their way down.
Police from the Nansi Forest Police Station of the Alxa Left Banner Public Security Bureau launched a search operation in the dark. Officers hiked roughly 16 kilometres through rain, fog and steep terrain to reach the climbers. The rescue took hours and required careful navigation in conditions that made even basic movement hazardous.
On 24 September, one of the rescued tourists returned to the police station to deliver a red silk banner, a traditional Chinese gesture of gratitude, inscribed with the words: “The people’s police serve the people; they extend a hand in critical moments.” The visitor thanked the officers personally for their action in extreme weather.
Bayan Songbur Peak has become a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts in recent years, particularly during the autumn when the surrounding landscape turns gold. But the same topography that makes it beautiful also makes it dangerous. Fog can descend without warning, and rain quickly turns rocky paths into slippery chutes. Local authorities regularly warn that low visibility combined with wet trails is a leading cause of hikers getting lost.
The rescue highlights a growing challenge across China’s scenic mountain regions, where a boom in domestic adventure travel has put more inexperienced visitors on difficult terrain. Many popular peaks lack full-time rescue teams, relying instead on local police and forest rangers who know the trails intimately but must cover long distances on foot.
For travellers heading into mountainous areas this autumn, the lesson is straightforward: check forecasts, start early, carry rain gear and a charged phone, and turn back if the weather closes in. In places like Bayan Songbur, the summit view is spectacular, but the mountain does not negotiate.
The three climbers were unharmed and able to walk out with the officers. Their ordeal, and the banner that followed, has become a local talking point about both the risks of wild weather and the quiet work of the officers who go up the mountain when everyone else is trying to come down.