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Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to safety, along with scores of regional escorts and animal tenders, authorities announced. This marks the end one of the largest search-and-rescue missions ever seen in the zone.

Large-Scale Rescue Effort Completed

Numerous of explorers were left stranded in deep snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful snowstorm dumped significant snowfall across the region.

Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which is located at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had escorted approximately 350 hikers to security.

Earlier reports had estimated that the last group of roughly 200 hikers were projected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, along with more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other crew members were brought out, according to government reports released on Tuesday late in the day.

Survivors Recount Harsh Situations

One Chinese hiker recalled how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the weather became more severe.

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

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The snowstorm also thwarted the objectives of alpinists guided by a US-based mountaineering outfit to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by western adventurers a century ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant tourism attraction, the area has drawn an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 sightseers visited the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Region Still Closed

The Everest region continues to be for the time being off-limits to the visitors, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler succumbed, due to a blend of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with usually fine and pleasant weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “not normal.”