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Search parties have successfully guided all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with numerous of local guides and yak herders, authorities stated. This wraps up one of the biggest rescue and recovery missions ever seen in the zone.

Large-Scale Rescue Operation Completed

Several hundred of explorers were left stranded in deep snow over the past few days in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce snowstorm unleashed heavy snowfall across the territory.

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

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 escorts, animal handlers, and other support staff were evacuated, according to government announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Recount Severe Conditions

One Chinese hiker described how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, obliging them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the conditions became more severe.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we learned the snow was heavy in the valley, too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The snowstorm also disrupted the objectives of alpinists guided by a American expedition firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by international adventurers a century ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor destination, the area has drawn an growing number of tourists. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Area Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be for the time being closed to the visitors, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted hundreds of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler died, due to a combination of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with usually fine and moderate weather, but one member of an 18-person trekking group that got back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”