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Search parties have successfully guided all of the remaining trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including scores of local guides and animal tenders, local government announced. This marks the end one of the biggest search-and-rescue efforts ever conducted in the region.

Large-Scale Evacuation Effort Concluded

Several hundred of explorers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unusually fierce snowstorm deposited substantial snowfall across the region.

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

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

In total, 580 mountaineers, along with more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other crew members were brought out, according to official reports released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Describe Harsh Situations

One from China traveler shared how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, obliging them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to move to lower ground on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we realized the snow was deep in the valley, too; community members, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

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

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by foreign travelers a century ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism draw, the area has drawn an increasing number of tourists. More than 540,000 sightseers visited the Everest region last year, establishing a unprecedented number.

Region Still Closed

The Everest region continues to be temporarily closed to the visitors, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced many of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one person lost their life, due to a mix of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with usually fine and moderate weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that got back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”