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Rescue teams have escorted all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to safety, including hundreds of native guides and yak herders, officials stated. This marks the end one of the largest rescue and recovery missions ever conducted in the region.

Massive Evacuation Effort Completed

Several hundred of trekkers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the recent weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an unusually intense blizzard deposited heavy snowfall across the territory.

Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which rests at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had escorted approximately 350 hikers to security.

Initial updates had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were anticipated to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other crew members were evacuated, according to authoritative reports released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Describe Harsh Situations

One from China traveler recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we found out the snow was intense in the valley, too; community members, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

The severe weather also hindered the goals of mountaineers guided by a US-based climbing company to summit 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 visited by international explorers a long time ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel attraction, the area has brought in an increasing number of travelers. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Area Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region is still currently off-limits to the general public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted numerous of trekkers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one individual lost their life, due to a combination of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

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