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Rescue teams have successfully guided all of the remaining adventurers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to security, including scores of local guides and animal tenders, local government reported. This wraps up one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever undertaken in the zone.

Massive Evacuation Operation Completed

Hundreds of trekkers were left stranded in thick snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful snowstorm unleashed substantial snowfall across the region.

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

Previous accounts had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were anticipated to reach safety by Tuesday.

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

Survivors Recount Severe Conditions

One from China trekker recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They opted to go down on Sunday as the weather 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 deep in the valley, too; community members, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Climbing Schedules Thwarted

The blizzard also thwarted the objectives of climbers guided by a US-based climbing outfit to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between China and the nation of Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first explored by international adventurers a hundred years ago. In modern times, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant tourism attraction, the area has brought in an increasing number of visitors. More than 540,000 tourists traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Area Still Closed

The Everest region continues to be currently off-limits to the public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of trekkers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one person succumbed, due to a blend of exposure and altitude sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with normally sunny and mild weather, but one member of an 18-person expedition team that returned safely to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “unusual.”