Pithoragarh, July 20 -- The first batch of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims who returned from Tibet via the Lipulekh Pass reported that the south face of Mount Kailash has been almost entirely devoid of snow, people aware of the matter said on Saturday. The batch returned to Dharchula on Thursday night, completing the journey in a record single day from the Tibetan side, they added. Speaking to the media, Sanjay Gunjiyal, the Liaison Officer (LO) for the first batch, highlighted a stark contrast compared to previous years. "This was my second visit to the region after 2016. Back then, the south face of Kailash was blanketed with snow. This time, it was almost bare," said Gunjiyal. He added that the months of June and July typically see lower snow accumulation on the high Himalayan peaks, in contrast to the October season, which marks the onset of winter and usually brings heavier snowfall. "In 2016, I visited Kailash in October, and there was a considerable snow cover," he added. Pilgrims Rajesh Nagpal from Rajasthan and Soumya Patel from Gujarat, who were also part of the first batch, echoed similar observations. "We saw the south face of Kailash almost without snow, though other parts of the pass had some snow cover. However, visiting Kailash and Mansarovar felt like being in heaven," said Patel. Not just Mount Kailash, but other usually snow-capped Himalayan peaks in the region such as Om Parvat and Adi Kailash were also seen with little to no snow. Gunjiyal said that Om Parvat, traditionally capped in snow all the year round, was also bare in August 2024, and showed reduced snow levels in 2018 also....