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Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the remaining trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including scores of native guides and animal tenders, officials reported. This marks the end one of the biggest search-and-rescue efforts ever undertaken in the area.

Massive Evacuation Effort Concluded

Hundreds of explorers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly intense winter blast dumped substantial snowfall across the territory.

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

Earlier reports had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 hikers were projected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other assistants were brought out, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Severe Situations

One from China traveler described how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather worsened.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we found out the snow was deep in the valley, too; villagers, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Expedition Plans Thwarted

The snowstorm also hindered the goals of mountaineers escorted by a American mountaineering company to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first explored by international adventurers a hundred years ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor destination, the area has attracted an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Area Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region remains currently closed to the public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The intense snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual lost their life, due to a mix of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Unusual Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with usually 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.”