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Rescue teams have safely led all of the remaining trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in Tibet to a secure location, including scores of native guides and animal tenders, local government announced. This marks the end one of the most extensive search-and-rescue missions ever seen in the zone.

Massive Evacuation Effort Completed

Several hundred of explorers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the past few days in the remote Karma valley, after an unusually powerful snowstorm deposited substantial snowfall across the area.

Snow continued to fall all day Saturday in the valley, which rests at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had guided approximately 350 hikers to security.

Initial updates had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were anticipated to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other support staff were brought out, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Recount Severe Situations

One Chinese hiker described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we realized the snow was heavy in the valley, too; villagers, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also hindered the plans of alpinists led by a American mountaineering firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first explored by western adventurers a long time ago. In the past few years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant tourism attraction, the area has brought in an growing number of tourists. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Area Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region remains currently off-limits to the visitors, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

The significant snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one person lost their life, due to a combination of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with usually clear and pleasant weather, but one trekker of an 18-person hiking party that returned safely to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “not normal.”