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Search parties have successfully guided all of the last adventurers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including scores of native guides and yak herders, authorities announced. This wraps up one of the biggest search-and-rescue missions ever undertaken in the zone.

Large-Scale Rescue Effort Completed

Numerous of hikers were left stranded in deep snow over the past few days in the isolated Karma valley, after an unusually powerful winter blast deposited substantial snowfall across the territory.

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

Previous accounts had suggested that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, along with more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other support staff were brought out, according to official announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Extreme Situations

One Chinese hiker recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the conditions became more severe.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we realized the snow was heavy in the valley, too; villagers, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Climbing Plans Disrupted

The severe weather also thwarted the plans of climbers escorted by a American climbing outfit to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign adventurers a long time ago. In modern times, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel draw, the area has brought in an increasing number of travelers. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Region Still Off-Limits

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

Wider Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler lost their life, due to a blend of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with normally fine and moderate weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “unusual.”