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Search parties have successfully guided all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to a secure location, along with scores of local guides and yak herders, local government announced. This marks the end one of the most extensive search-and-rescue missions ever undertaken in the area.

Massive Rescue Effort Completed

Numerous of trekkers were became trapped in thick snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an unusually powerful blizzard dumped substantial snowfall across the territory.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which rests at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had led approximately 350 hikers to security.

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

In total, 580 mountaineers, along with more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other support staff were brought out, according to official announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Describe Severe Situations

One from China trekker shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, obliging them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend 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 learned the snow was deep in the valley, too; villagers, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The severe weather also hindered the plans of climbers led by a US-based mountaineering outfit to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Area

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

Region Still Off-Limits

The Everest region is still for the time being off-limits to the general public, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The significant snowfall over the weekend also impacted numerous of travelers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler succumbed, due to a blend of low body temperature and high-altitude illness.

Unusual Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with normally sunny and mild weather, but one member of an 18-person hiking party that got back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “unusual.”