Eastern Nepal has seen clear skies since Sunday, with sunlight glinting off the Himalayan peaks and paddy ripening in the lower valleys. But the route to Tibet through the Tipthala border point in Taplejung remains shut after last week’s heavy snowfall, cutting off movement across the border and leaving travellers stranded.

The travellers, who had set out between October 21 and 29 for various purposes, have been forced to stop midway as thick snow has blocked the route. Among them are six Nepalis who had gone to Tibet for work and five women from Yangma in ward 7 of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality who were heading to their maternal homes in Riu, Dinggye County, on the Tibetan side. They have been stuck in Olangchungola since October 29, waiting for the road to reopen.

Ward Chair Cheten Sherpa Lama said that movement across the border has come to a complete halt because the Chinese immigration office has yet to reopen after the snowfall. “The snow on the Chinese side is much thicker and needs to be cleared by machines,” Lama said from Phungling, the district headquarters. “People in Olangchungola and those in Riu keep calling to ask when they can travel again. But the border police chief in Dinggye County told me the road cannot be cleared until machines are deployed.”

According to Lama, the Tibetan administration has requested permission from the Dinggye County People’s Government to start clearing the route. The work will begin only after the approval is granted. The terrain on the Chinese side remains damp and icy, so melting takes longer than on the Nepali side, where sunlight is stronger. “Here, when the sun shines, locals can sometimes make a path on foot. But the Chinese side won’t open the road until it is cleared mechanically,” he said.

At present, there is no alternative way to travel from Riu to the border except by foot, as the motorable track remains buried under snow.

Six others from Olangchungola, including ward members Phupulhamu Sherpa and Wadgya Sherpa, crossed the Tipthala Pass towards Riu on October 21 but have been stuck there since the snowfall began. They were preparing to return on October 29 when heavy snow covered both sides of the pass, blocking all movement. “We had already loaded our belongings onto the vehicle when we were told the route was closed due to snow,” Phupulhamu said in a message sent to Chair Lama via WeChat.

Tipthala Pass, located at an altitude of 5,100 metres, often receives early snowfall when weather patterns shift. Local officials said the snowfall began suddenly and continued long enough to make the road impassable. “There’s no way to know whether snow has fallen at the border because there’s no direct communication,” Lama said. “The telephone doesn’t work there, and the area isn’t visible from the lower settlements. We have to ask the Riu administration to confirm the condition.”

Olangchungola residents face severe communication challenges, as telephone and internet services are unreliable. “Sometimes we have to walk three hours to a place called Jongin to access mobile internet,” said Tenzing Sherpa, a ward office employee. “When the weather clears, we occasionally get a 4G signal from the district headquarters tower.”

He said travellers must submit copies of their border pass identity cards, issued by the Taplejung District Administration Office, to the Riu administration a week in advance for approval. “Only after their verification do we allow people to travel. Otherwise, Chinese immigration officials don’t come to the border, and those who leave from our side get stranded midway,” he said.

So far, only residents of Olangchungola and Yangma have been permitted to cross into Tibet through the Tipthala border. Those waiting to visit their relatives in Riu say they are staying in Olangchungola until the snow is cleared and the road reopens.