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Emergency crews have safely led all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in Tibet to a secure location, along with hundreds of regional escorts and yak herders, authorities stated. This concludes one of the most extensive search-and-rescue missions ever undertaken in the area.

Massive Rescue Effort Completed

Several hundred of explorers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unusually powerful blizzard unleashed heavy snowfall across the area.

Snow continued to fall throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had led approximately 350 hikers to security.

Initial updates had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were expected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 guides, yak herders, and other crew members were brought out, according to government announcements released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Recount Extreme Conditions

One from China trekker described how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They opted to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

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

Expedition Plans Thwarted

The blizzard also thwarted the plans of mountaineers led by a United States climbing outfit to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first explored by western travelers a hundred years ago. In the past few years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism draw, the area has brought in an increasing number of visitors. More than 540,000 tourists explored the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Area Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region is still temporarily inaccessible to the public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also influenced numerous of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler died, due to a blend of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with usually fine and pleasant weather, but one member of an 18-person trekking group that got back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “unusual.”