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Emergency crews have safely led all of the remaining trekkers near the eastern slopes of Everest in Tibet to safety, including hundreds of regional escorts and animal tenders, authorities announced. This marks the end one of the most extensive search-and-rescue missions ever conducted in the area.

Large-Scale Rescue Operation Completed

Numerous of explorers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful winter blast dumped heavy snowfall across the area.

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

Previous accounts had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were anticipated to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, along with more than 300 escorts, animal handlers, and other support staff were brought out, according to official statements released on Tuesday evening.

Survivors Describe Severe Conditions

One from China traveler described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to move to lower ground on Sunday as the conditions became more severe.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we found out the snow was deep in the valley, too; community members, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Climbing Plans Thwarted

The blizzard also thwarted the objectives of mountaineers led by a United States expedition outfit to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by foreign explorers a century ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism draw, the area has brought in an growing number of travelers. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Area Remains Closed

The Everest region is still for the time being inaccessible to the public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted numerous of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one traveler succumbed, due to a blend of hypothermia and high-altitude illness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a high season for the area, with usually sunny and pleasant weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that returned safely to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “atypical.”