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Emergency crews have safely led all of the last adventurers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to security, along with numerous of regional escorts and yak herders, authorities announced. This wraps up one of the biggest search-and-rescue operations ever undertaken in the zone.

Massive Rescue Effort Completed

Several hundred of explorers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unusually intense snowstorm dumped heavy snowfall across the region.

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

Initial updates had suggested that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach safety by Tuesday.

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

Those Rescued Describe Severe Conditions

One from China hiker described how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, obliging them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we found out the snow was heavy in the valley, too; community members, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Climbing Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also thwarted the goals of mountaineers guided by a United States expedition outfit to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Growth in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by foreign travelers a long time ago. In the past few years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a major visitor destination, the area has drawn an increasing number of travelers. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, establishing a unprecedented number.

Area Remains Closed

The Everest region remains temporarily closed to the general public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of hikers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one traveler succumbed, due to a mix of hypothermia and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with normally clear and moderate weather, but one member of an 18-person hiking party that got back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “atypical.”