Missing trekker report 2025:
2025 was another difficult year for missing trekkers and trekking deaths in Nepal. Most of it went unnoticed by mainstream media. Two cases in particular stand out, both highlighting trends that are becoming harder to ignore.
The Cases That Defined 2025
Yeon Sang Chung, a Korean lawyer, died on Kongma La Pass after going missing in late December 2025 after his trekking guide abandoned him at altitude. Instead of staying to assist, the guide left him exposed on the pass and subsequently disappeared without trace. The case unravelled on MissingTrekker.com after another trekker read the missing person post and reported what they had witnessed. A police investigation followed, but the guide has not been located. The case moved from December 2025 into January 2026.
The investigation revealed the guide had not signed in at any checkpoint along the route, making identification impossible. This is becoming more common in the Solukhumbu region, where guides are hired directly at Lukla or via Facebook Groups, TripAdvisor, and social media influencers, with no company registration. They can sign any name at checkpoints, or not sign in at all. Whether malice was involved from the outset, or something happened on the pass that will never be known, the result is the same: Yeon Sang died and no one can be held accountable.
Astrid Weisser went missing on the Khopra Danda trek after following an offline map app along a trail that was no longer in use. She slipped and fell. The case has reinforced growing concerns about trekkers relying on offline map apps and unvetted digital trail data in place of current route knowledge and physical guides.
Surge in Fake and Unsubstantiated Reports
The volume of fake and unsubstantiated missing trekker reports continued in 2025. Just this week, MissingTrekker.com received a report of a missing German trekker with a passport number included, but no location, no dates, and no supporting details. Ten reports received throughout 2025 had no verifiable proof of any person going missing. Following up on each one takes time and resources away from genuine cases.
Some of these reports appear connected to ongoing investigations into fake rescues. Others reflect a lack of administration on the ground, where no reliable reporting infrastructure exists unless a family member makes contact directly. MissingTrekker.com does not publish any missing trekker report without established proof. This has been the position since the uptick in fake submissions began in 2023, and it remains so.
On a positive note, the number of unsubstantiated reports by TAAN appeared to drop in 2025, following attention raised on this issue the previous year.
2025 Missing Trekkers in Nepal
Based on verified data, six or more trekkers were reported missing in 2025:
Yeon Sang Chung (Korea) – Kongma La Pass
Status: Deceased
Details: Died after his guide abandoned him on the pass in late December 2025. Guide remains untraceable.
Astrid Weisser – Khopra Danda
Status: Deceased
Details: Went missing after following an outdated offline map app trail. Slipped and fell.
Two trekkers – Everest Base Camp region
Status: Found
Details: Reported missing, located after two days. Consistent with typical communication blackout cases.
One US citizen – Everest Base Camp region
Status: Unresolved
Details: Reported missing the following month. No follow-up received despite consistent outreach from MissingTrekker.com.
German trekker and guide – Dhaulagiri
Status: Found
Details: Veered off the official route in October, triggering a helicopter search. Reappeared after getting turned around in a forest.
Yi Cheng Yuan (China)
Status: Deceased
Details: Went missing in March 2025. Body found in April. Died in an avalanche while trekking with a group and guide.
Trekking Deaths in 2025
Eighteen trekkers died from altitude sickness in the Annapurna region alone in 2025. That number is too high. Many are attributing this to the road into Manang, with trekkers driving directly to altitude rather than acclimatising gradually from Chame. Altitude sickness is not exclusively a foreign trekker problem: a Nepali citizen also died at Rara Lake in March from altitude-related illness.
Myeong Jong (Korea) died after falling into a lake near Tilicho Lake. A second Korean national died in October while returning from Mera Peak.
Reported Bad Trekking Guides and Agencies in 2025
The bad guide and agency reporting form launched in 2024 continued to receive submissions throughout 2025. The overwhelming majority of complaints were about individual guides not affiliated with any registered trekking agency. In each case the guide had been recommended via Facebook Groups, TripAdvisor, YouTube, or private messages.
Complaints covered alcohol use, anti-social behaviour, lack of skill, and dangerous conduct on trek. Many of the guides reported were licensed but not registered with any TAAN member company. Under the 2023 mandatory guide rule, all trekking guides are required to operate through a registered agency, which carries responsibility for the guide’s insurance and conduct. Multiple trekkers reported sending complaints to TAAN and receiving no reply.
A consistent theme across reports was that trekkers had no idea guides needed to be registered with an agency. The absence of clear official information is a direct reason why so many trekkers end up hiring through social media, where independent guides actively seek clients and forums push the idea that the cheapest option is the sensible one.
A Positive Step: The 2026 Fake Rescue Crackdown
One significant piece of good news to come out of early 2026 was the Central Investigation Bureau’s arrest of six executives from three helicopter rescue and charter companies in January. Out of 2,320 rescue operations investigated between 2022 and 2025, 317 were found to be entirely fabricated, with total losses to international insurers exceeding $21.7 million.
The arrests were a long time coming. A 700-page government investigation in 2018 had already named the primary offenders, but the file was effectively shelved in the years that followed. The fact that Nepali police reopened those cold files and moved to prosecution is worth recognising. For a sector that has watched this scam grow for over a decade, real legal accountability is a meaningful step forward.
A dedicated CIB task force is now investigating helicopter operators and the private hospitals that produced forged medical reports to support fraudulent claims. The investigation is ongoing.
For trekkers, the practical advice has not changed: book through a small, reputable, owner-operated agency. Avoid large aggregate booking sites offering unusually low prices. If a guide suggests a helicopter evacuation, request a rest day first and call your insurer directly before handing over any documents. The full details of how the scam worked, and how to avoid becoming part of a future claim, are covered in the Nepal fake rescue scam article.
Conclusion on Missing Trekkers in Nepal During 2025
Six verified missing trekker cases in 2025, up from 2024, though the total number of individuals within those cases was the same. The cases of Yeon Sang Chung and Astrid Weissner are not isolated incidents. They reflect two patterns that are growing: guides operating outside any regulatory framework, and trekkers placing too much trust in unvetted digital tools.
The number of deaths occurring while trekkers were accompanied by guides remains troubling. The absence of functioning TIMS checkpoints continues to undermine any meaningful trekker tracking. In the Solukhumbu region, the TREK CARD system is clearly not filling that gap either.
SAR Dogs Nepal deserve recognition for their search during the Astrid Weissner case and for placing new signage in the area afterward. Like MissingTrekker.com, SAR Dogs Nepal is volunteer-led and operates without the donations, media coverage, or trekking community support the work deserves.
MissingTrekker.com advises trekkers to book through small, reputable agencies found via guidebooks or the official TAAN website. Do not hire a guide from a Facebook Group, TripAdvisor listing, YouTube recommendation, or any social media source. Avoid large booking platforms and discounted group trek operators. Enforcement of trekking regulations in Nepal remains limited in practice. The precautions taken before departure are the ones that matter.
If you encountered a bad guide or agency, report it here.
MissingTrekker.com continues to post information on trekkers that have gone missing in Nepal. If you have any information on a missing trekker please follow these guidelines. You may report a missing trekker directly here.
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