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Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the remaining trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to safety, along with hundreds of local guides and yak herders, authorities announced. This wraps up one of the biggest rescue and recovery missions ever seen in the zone.

Massive Rescue Operation Concluded

Hundreds of explorers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the recent weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an exceptionally intense winter blast dumped significant snowfall across the territory.

Snow kept coming down throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had guided approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Previous accounts had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were anticipated to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 guides, animal handlers, and other crew members were brought out, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday evening.

Survivors Recount Severe Conditions

One from China traveler recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They decided to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we realized the snow was heavy in the valley, too; local residents, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also disrupted the goals of alpinists guided by a American climbing company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign explorers a hundred years ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism attraction, the area has attracted an increasing number of tourists. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Area Still Closed

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

Broader Effect

The intense snowfall over the weekend also influenced many of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one individual lost their life, due to a mix of low body temperature and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with normally clear and moderate weather, but one trekker of an 18-person hiking party that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”