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Search parties have escorted all of the remaining trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in Tibet to safety, including numerous of native guides and yak herders, officials stated. This concludes one of the biggest search-and-rescue operations ever conducted in the area.

Massive Rescue Effort Completed

Several hundred of explorers were left stranded in heavy snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly powerful snowstorm unleashed significant snowfall across the region.

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

Previous accounts had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 escorts, animal handlers, and other crew members were brought out, according to official reports released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Describe Extreme Conditions

One from China traveler shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the situation worsened.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we learned the snow was intense in the valley, too; community members, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Expedition Plans Thwarted

The snowstorm also hindered the objectives of mountaineers guided by a United States 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 Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by western travelers a long time ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant visitor attraction, the area has brought in an increasing number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists explored the Everest region last year, establishing a all-time high.

Region Still Closed

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

Broader Impact

The intense snowfall over the weekend also influenced numerous of trekkers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one person lost their life, due to a combination of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

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