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Rescue teams have successfully guided all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with scores of native guides and yak herders, authorities reported. This marks the end one of the largest rescue and recovery missions ever undertaken in the region.

Large-Scale Rescue Effort Concluded

Hundreds of trekkers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the past few days in the isolated Karma valley, after an unusually fierce snowstorm dumped substantial snowfall across the area.

Snow kept coming down throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had escorted approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Earlier reports had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were projected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other crew members were rescued, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Describe Severe Conditions

One Chinese hiker shared how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the situation became more severe.

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

Climbing Plans Thwarted

The severe weather also thwarted the plans of climbers led by a US-based climbing company to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and the nation of Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first explored by foreign travelers a long time ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel destination, the area has attracted an rising number of travelers. More than 540,000 sightseers explored the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Region Still Closed

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

Broader Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of hikers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler died, due to a blend of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with typically clear and pleasant weather, but one trekker of an 18-person hiking party that made it back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “atypical.”