The Tibet autonomous region is bracing itself for the start of the fall climbing season, with over 250 mostly foreign mountaineers expected to tackle the region's famous mountains, some of which stand more than 8,000 meters high.

Despite a drop in the number of mountaineers visiting Tibet in recent years, the fall climbing season is still a big boost for the local tourism industry, and a key source of revenue for locals.

According to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association, 254 mountaineers from Austria, France, Spain, Nepal, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea and other countries are either on their way to Tibet or have already arrived.