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Search parties have safely led all of the remaining hikers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to safety, including scores of local guides and animal tenders, local government announced. This concludes one of the most extensive rescue and recovery operations ever conducted in the zone.

Large-Scale Rescue Operation Completed

Several hundred of explorers were became trapped in deep snow over the past few days in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly intense winter blast deposited substantial snowfall across the region.

Snow persisted throughout Saturday in the valley, which is located at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had escorted approximately 350 hikers to security.

Initial updates had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other crew members were evacuated, according to government statements released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Describe Harsh Conditions

One from China traveler shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, forcing them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we realized the snow was deep in the valley, too; local residents, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The blizzard also thwarted the plans of climbers guided by a US-based climbing company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by international explorers a long time ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant visitor attraction, the area has attracted an increasing number of tourists. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, establishing a all-time high.

Region Still Closed

The Everest region is still currently inaccessible to the general public, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The intense snowfall over the weekend also affected many of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler lost their life, due to a mix of low body temperature and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with usually clear and mild weather, but one trekker of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “atypical.”