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Emergency crews have safely led all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in Tibet to safety, along with numerous of local guides and animal tenders, local government reported. This wraps up one of the most extensive search-and-rescue missions ever seen in the area.

Massive Evacuation Operation Completed

Hundreds of trekkers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the past few days in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce blizzard unleashed significant 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 escorted approximately 350 hikers to security.

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

In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were evacuated, according to government reports released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Describe Harsh Situations

One Chinese trekker described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to clear it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the situation deteriorated.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we learned the snow was deep in the valley, too; community members, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

The blizzard also hindered the goals of climbers led by a US-based climbing outfit to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first discovered by western travelers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism destination, the area has attracted an increasing number of travelers. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Region Still Closed

The Everest region continues to be for the time being inaccessible to the visitors, 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 western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one traveler lost their life, due to a combination of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally fine and moderate weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that made it back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “unusual.”