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Search parties have escorted all of the last trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in Tibet to a secure location, along with numerous of regional escorts and animal tenders, officials stated. This concludes one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts ever seen in the area.

Massive Rescue Operation Completed

Hundreds of hikers were became trapped in deep snow over the weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unexpectedly intense winter blast dumped heavy snowfall across the territory.

Snow persisted throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had escorted approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Initial updates had suggested that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, along with more than 300 escorts, animal handlers, and other crew members were evacuated, according to government reports released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Severe Situations

One Chinese traveler described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, obliging them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to move to lower ground on Sunday as the conditions became more severe.

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

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

The snowstorm also thwarted the plans of climbers guided by a American expedition company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by western adventurers a hundred years ago. In modern times, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant visitor destination, the area has drawn an growing number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a all-time high.

Region Remains Closed

The Everest region is still temporarily inaccessible to the general public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of trekkers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one individual died, due to a combination of hypothermia and high-altitude illness.

Unusual Weather

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