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Search parties have escorted all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including hundreds of local guides and animal tenders, authorities announced. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery missions ever seen in the region.

Massive Rescue Operation Completed

Numerous of explorers were became trapped in deep snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful blizzard deposited significant snowfall across the area.

Snow continued to fall all day Saturday in the valley, which is located at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Previous accounts had suggested that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were anticipated to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other assistants were rescued, according to government announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Describe Severe Conditions

One Chinese trekker shared how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the situation deteriorated.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we learned the snow was intense in the valley, too; local residents, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The severe weather also disrupted the plans of mountaineers escorted by a United States expedition company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign travelers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel draw, the area has drawn an increasing number of travelers. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, setting a all-time high.

Region Remains Closed

The Everest region is still temporarily off-limits to the general public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The intense snowfall over the weekend also influenced many of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler died, due to a combination of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.

Unusual Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with typically clear and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that made it back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “unusual.”