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Emergency crews have escorted all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with scores of local guides and livestock handlers, authorities reported. This concludes one of the biggest search-and-rescue efforts ever conducted in the region.

Large-Scale Evacuation Effort Completed

Several hundred of trekkers were left stranded in thick snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce winter blast dumped substantial snowfall across the territory.

Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which sits at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had escorted approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Initial updates had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were anticipated to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 escorts, livestock herders, and other assistants were rescued, according to government statements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Severe Conditions

One from China trekker recalled how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, obliging them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to move to lower ground on Sunday as the conditions became more severe.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we found out the snow was intense in the valley, too; community members, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Climbing Plans Disrupted

The severe weather also thwarted the objectives of mountaineers guided by a United States mountaineering company to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between China and Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Region

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 tourism attraction, the area has drawn an growing number of travelers. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Area Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region is still currently closed to the visitors, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The significant snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler lost their life, due to a mix of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Unusual Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with typically sunny and pleasant weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that got back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “not normal.”