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Rescue teams have safely led all of the last hikers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, along with scores of native guides and livestock handlers, officials announced. This concludes one of the biggest rescue and recovery missions ever conducted in the region.

Massive Evacuation Effort Completed

Several hundred of trekkers were left stranded in thick snow over the past few days in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly powerful winter blast deposited heavy snowfall across the region.

Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had led approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Previous accounts had estimated that the last group of roughly 200 hikers were projected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, along with more than 300 guides, yak herders, and other crew members were brought out, according to government statements released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Recount Harsh Situations

One Chinese trekker recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose 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 ventured for him. That’s when we learned the snow was deep in the valley, too; community members, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Climbing Schedules Thwarted

The snowstorm also hindered the goals of climbers guided by a US-based mountaineering firm to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and the nation of Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign travelers a long time ago. In recent years, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a major travel destination, the area has attracted an increasing number of travelers. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Area Remains Closed

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

Broader Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also influenced numerous of travelers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler lost their life, due to a mix of exposure and acute mountain sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with normally sunny and moderate weather, but one member of an 18-person expedition team that made it back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “not normal.”