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Search parties have escorted all of the remaining hikers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with hundreds of local guides and animal tenders, officials announced. This concludes one of the largest rescue and recovery operations ever conducted in the area.

Massive Evacuation Effort Completed

Numerous of trekkers were became trapped in thick snow over the weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly intense blizzard deposited heavy snowfall across the region.

Snow persisted throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had guided approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Previous accounts had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, along with more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other support staff were rescued, according to government reports released on Tuesday evening.

Survivors Recount Harsh Situations

One Chinese trekker shared how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather became more severe.

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

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The severe weather also disrupted the objectives of mountaineers led by a American mountaineering firm 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 international explorers a century ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant visitor draw, the area has drawn an increasing number of visitors. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Area Still Off-Limits

The Everest region is still for the time being closed to the public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The intense snowfall over the weekend also influenced numerous of travelers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler succumbed, due to a combination of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Unusual Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally sunny and moderate weather, but one trekker of an 18-person hiking party that returned safely to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “not normal.”