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Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the last hikers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to security, along with hundreds of regional escorts and livestock handlers, officials announced. This marks the end one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts ever conducted in the region.

Massive Evacuation Effort Completed

Numerous of trekkers were left stranded in deep snow over the past few days in the remote Karma valley, after an exceptionally powerful blizzard dumped heavy snowfall across the area.

Snow kept coming down throughout 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 safety.

Previous accounts had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 hikers were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were rescued, according to official announcements released on Tuesday evening.

Survivors Recount Severe Conditions

One from China hiker described how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, obliging them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we learned the snow was intense in the valley, too; community members, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The severe weather also thwarted the goals of climbers led by a American climbing outfit to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first discovered by western explorers a long time ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel draw, the area has drawn an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, establishing a all-time high.

Region Still Closed

The Everest region continues to be currently inaccessible to the general public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced numerous of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person succumbed, due to a blend of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a high season for the area, with usually fine and moderate weather, but one trekker of an 18-person expedition team that made it back to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “not normal.”