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Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the remaining adventurers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in Tibet to a secure location, including scores of local guides and livestock handlers, local government reported. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery efforts ever conducted in the zone.

Large-Scale Rescue Effort Concluded

Hundreds of trekkers were became trapped in deep snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce blizzard unleashed heavy snowfall across the area.

Snow continued to fall throughout Saturday in the valley, which is located at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had escorted approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Earlier reports had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were anticipated to reach safety by Tuesday.

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

Those Rescued Recount Harsh Situations

One Chinese hiker described how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

“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; villagers, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The severe weather also disrupted the goals of alpinists escorted by a US-based mountaineering company to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by western adventurers a century ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a major visitor destination, the area has brought in an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 visitors traveled to the Everest region last year, establishing a unprecedented number.

Region Remains Closed

The Everest region continues to be temporarily closed to the visitors, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

The intense snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of travelers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler died, due to a blend of exposure and altitude sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally clear and moderate weather, but one participant of an 18-person expedition team that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “not normal.”