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Search parties have escorted all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in Tibet to safety, including numerous of local guides and animal tenders, local government reported. This wraps up one of the most extensive search-and-rescue operations ever conducted in the region.

Massive Evacuation Operation Concluded

Several hundred of hikers were became trapped in thick snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce winter blast dumped heavy snowfall across the region.

Snow continued to fall all day Saturday in the valley, which sits at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Previous accounts had estimated that the last group of roughly 200 hikers were projected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other crew members were rescued, according to official announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Describe Severe Situations

One Chinese trekker recalled how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, obliging them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the conditions became more severe.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we learned the snow was intense in the valley, too; community members, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Plans Thwarted

The severe weather also hindered the plans of alpinists led by a US-based expedition outfit to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first explored by western travelers a hundred years ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor destination, the area has brought in an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 sightseers explored the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Area Still Off-Limits

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

Broader Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also influenced numerous of travelers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one traveler lost their life, due to a blend of exposure and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with normally fine and moderate weather, but one trekker of an 18-person expedition team that returned safely to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “atypical.”