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Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to security, including scores of regional escorts and yak herders, authorities announced. This marks the end one of the most extensive rescue and recovery efforts ever seen in the zone.

Large-Scale Rescue Effort Completed

Numerous of explorers were left stranded in thick snow over the past few days in the remote Karma valley, after an unusually intense winter blast dumped substantial snowfall across the area.

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

Earlier reports had suggested that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were evacuated, according to authoritative statements released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Describe Harsh Situations

One Chinese traveler shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to go down on Sunday as the weather worsened.

“On the way, we encountered 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 deeply concerned.”

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also thwarted the plans of mountaineers guided by a United States climbing company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by international travelers a century ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism destination, the area has attracted an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 visitors traveled to the Everest region last year, establishing a unprecedented number.

Area Still Off-Limits

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

Wider Effect

The intense snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of trekkers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person lost their life, due to a blend of hypothermia and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with usually sunny and moderate weather, but one trekker of an 18-person hiking party that returned safely to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “not normal.”