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Search parties have escorted all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to security, including scores of regional escorts and animal tenders, local government announced. This marks the end one of the largest rescue and recovery efforts ever conducted in the zone.

Large-Scale Evacuation Effort Concluded

Numerous of explorers were left stranded in thick snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unusually powerful winter blast unleashed substantial snowfall across the area.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which is located at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had led approximately 350 hikers to security.

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

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

Those Rescued Describe Severe Situations

One from China traveler recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the situation became more severe.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we realized the snow was heavy in the valley, too; local residents, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Climbing Plans Disrupted

The blizzard also thwarted the plans of mountaineers led by a US-based expedition firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between China and Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first explored by foreign explorers a century ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a major visitor destination, the area has attracted an growing number of tourists. More than 540,000 sightseers explored the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Area Remains Closed

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

Broader Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one individual succumbed, due to a blend of exposure and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with normally sunny and pleasant weather, but one trekker of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”