First group of hikers rescued from a mountain near Everest after cloudy skies left thousands of tourists stranded there for several days. Deborah Gembara reports.<br/> Clearer skies on Sunday made it possible for a military plane to reach a mountain near Everest and rescue 18 tourists trapped on the slopes. Thick cloud cover has kept an estimated 2,000 foreign hikers stranded on Lukla for several days.<br/> While these tourists were able to make it out to Katmandau , military helicopters flying later in the day were forced to turn around due to changes in visibility.<br/> SOUNDBITE: Brigadier General Ravindra Chhetri saying:<br/> "Let's keep our fingers crossed, if everything goes well tomorrow, we along with private airlines should be able to bring most of the tourists back to Katmandu."<br/> Climbers and hikers from all over the world gravitate to the Nepal's mountainous northeast region each years --- typically beginning their treks at Lukla -- which is considered the gateway to Everest.<br/> Deborah Gembara, Reuters.
