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Rescue teams have escorted all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to safety, including numerous of local guides and yak herders, local government reported. This wraps up one of the most extensive rescue and recovery missions ever conducted in the zone.

Large-Scale Rescue Operation Concluded

Several hundred of explorers were became trapped in heavy snow over the weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce winter blast dumped substantial snowfall across the area.

Snow continued to fall 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.

Previous accounts had estimated that the last group of roughly 200 individuals were anticipated to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other support staff were rescued, according to official reports released on Tuesday evening.

Survivors Describe Harsh Conditions

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

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we realized the snow was deep in the valley, too; local residents, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were very anxious.”

Expedition Plans Thwarted

The severe weather also thwarted the objectives of alpinists led by a American climbing outfit to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first explored by international adventurers a long time ago. In modern times, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a major tourism destination, the area has brought in an rising number of travelers. More than 540,000 tourists explored the Everest region last year, setting a all-time high.

Area Still Closed

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

Wider Impact

The intense snowfall over the weekend also affected many of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler succumbed, due to a blend of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with usually fine and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person expedition team that made it back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “not normal.”