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Emergency crews have escorted all of the last trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in Tibet to security, along with numerous of local guides and yak herders, local government stated. This marks the end one of the most extensive rescue and recovery missions ever undertaken in the area.

Massive Evacuation Operation Concluded

Several hundred of hikers were left stranded in heavy snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce winter blast dumped substantial snowfall across the area.

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

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

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 escorts, yak herders, and other support staff were rescued, according to government reports released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Describe Severe Conditions

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

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had set out 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 deeply concerned.”

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The snowstorm also thwarted the plans of climbers escorted by a US-based mountaineering firm to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by foreign travelers a long time ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a major travel attraction, the area has attracted an rising number of travelers. More than 540,000 sightseers visited the Everest region last year, marking a unprecedented number.

Region Remains Off-Limits

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

Wider Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also affected many of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler died, due to a blend of exposure and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with normally fine and mild weather, but one member of an 18-person trekking group that got back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”