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Rescue teams have escorted all of the remaining trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to security, including scores of local guides and livestock handlers, officials announced. This concludes one of the largest search-and-rescue missions ever undertaken in the region.

Large-Scale Rescue Operation Concluded

Numerous of explorers were became trapped in thick snow over the weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful blizzard deposited substantial snowfall across the region.

Snow kept coming down throughout Saturday in the valley, which rests at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had escorted approximately 350 hikers to safety.

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

In total, 580 mountaineers, along with more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other crew members were evacuated, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Extreme Situations

One from China trekker recalled how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to descend on Sunday as the situation became more severe.

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

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The snowstorm also thwarted the goals 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.

Tourism Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first explored by foreign explorers a long time ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant travel attraction, the area has drawn an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 sightseers explored the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Area Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region remains for the time being closed to the public, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also influenced many of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person lost their life, due to a mix of hypothermia and high-altitude illness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a high season for the area, with typically clear and moderate weather, but one member of an 18-person expedition team that got back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “unusual.”