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Rescue teams have successfully guided all of the remaining hikers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including scores of native guides and yak herders, officials announced. This concludes one of the most extensive search-and-rescue missions ever conducted in the zone.

Large-Scale Evacuation Operation Completed

Hundreds of explorers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the past few days in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly intense winter blast unleashed heavy snowfall across the territory.

Snow kept coming down 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 safety.

Initial updates had suggested that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 escorts, animal handlers, and other assistants were rescued, according to authoritative reports released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Describe Harsh Conditions

One from China trekker shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, compelling them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the conditions 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; local residents, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Climbing Schedules Thwarted

The snowstorm also disrupted the goals of alpinists escorted by a United States mountaineering company to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by western explorers a century ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor destination, the area has brought in an rising number of visitors. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, setting a all-time high.

Region Still Off-Limits

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

Broader Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of travelers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person succumbed, due to a combination of low body temperature and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally sunny and pleasant weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “unusual.”