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Emergency crews have safely led all of the remaining trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in Tibet to a secure location, including numerous of native guides and animal tenders, local government announced. This wraps up one of the biggest rescue and recovery operations ever undertaken in the area.

Massive Evacuation Operation Completed

Hundreds of explorers were became trapped in deep snow over the weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce winter blast unleashed substantial snowfall across the area.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which is located at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had escorted approximately 350 hikers to security.

Earlier reports had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

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

Those Rescued Describe Extreme Situations

One from China trekker described how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided 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 realized the snow was deep in the valley, too; community members, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Climbing Schedules Disrupted

The severe weather also disrupted the plans of climbers led by a American mountaineering company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first explored by international adventurers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a major visitor destination, the area has drawn an rising number of tourists. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Area Still Off-Limits

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

Broader Impact

The significant snowfall over the weekend also affected many of trekkers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler died, due to a mix of hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally clear and moderate weather, but one member of an 18-person expedition team that returned safely to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “atypical.”