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Rescue teams have escorted all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to security, along with hundreds of local guides and yak herders, officials announced. This wraps up one of the biggest search-and-rescue missions ever seen in the area.

Massive Rescue Operation Completed

Hundreds of hikers were left stranded in heavy snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an unusually powerful snowstorm unleashed significant snowfall across the region.

Snow persisted throughout Saturday in the valley, which is located at an typical 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 remaining roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 mountaineers, along with more than 300 escorts, animal handlers, and other crew members were evacuated, according to authoritative reports released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Recount Harsh Conditions

One Chinese trekker described how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

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

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

The snowstorm also thwarted the objectives of climbers escorted by a US-based expedition company to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by international adventurers a long time ago. In modern times, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a major visitor draw, the area has attracted an growing number of travelers. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, establishing a new record.

Area Remains Off-Limits

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

Broader Impact

The intense snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of travelers in other parts of western China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one traveler lost their life, due to a mix of hypothermia and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a peak season for the area, with usually clear and mild weather, but one trekker of an 18-person expedition team that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “not normal.”