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Search parties have successfully guided all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with numerous of regional escorts and yak herders, officials announced. This marks the end one of the most extensive rescue and recovery operations ever undertaken in the region.

Large-Scale Evacuation Effort Completed

Hundreds of explorers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unusually fierce blizzard unleashed significant snowfall across the region.

Snow kept coming down throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Earlier reports had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, along with more than 300 escorts, livestock herders, and other assistants were brought out, according to government statements released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Recount Harsh Conditions

One Chinese hiker recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the situation deteriorated.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had set out 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.”

Climbing Schedules Thwarted

The blizzard also thwarted the goals of climbers led by a United States mountaineering outfit to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and the nation of Nepal.

Tourism Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first discovered by western adventurers a century ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant tourism draw, the area has brought in an increasing number of travelers. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, establishing a new record.

Area Still Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be 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 many of hikers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one person succumbed, due to a combination of exposure and altitude sickness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a high season for the area, with normally sunny and pleasant weather, but one participant of an 18-person expedition team that returned safely to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “unusual.”