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Search parties have successfully guided all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in Tibet to a secure location, including hundreds of native guides and yak herders, officials announced. This concludes one of the most extensive search-and-rescue operations ever conducted in the region.

Large-Scale Rescue Effort Concluded

Hundreds of trekkers were left stranded in deep snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly intense snowstorm dumped significant snowfall across the territory.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which is located at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had led approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Initial updates had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 guides, animal handlers, and other crew members were brought out, according to official reports released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Severe Conditions

One Chinese traveler recalled how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, obliging them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we realized the snow was deep in the valley, too; local residents, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

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

Visitor Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first explored by western travelers a long time ago. In the past few years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant visitor draw, the area has drawn an rising number of visitors. More than 540,000 tourists explored the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Area Still Off-Limits

The Everest region remains temporarily inaccessible to the visitors, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

The intense snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler lost their life, due to a blend of low body temperature and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with normally sunny and pleasant weather, but one trekker of an 18-person trekking group that got back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “atypical.”