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Search parties have safely led all of the last hikers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in Tibet to security, including numerous of regional escorts and animal tenders, officials announced. This marks the end one of the biggest search-and-rescue efforts ever seen in the zone.

Massive Rescue Effort Completed

Hundreds of trekkers were left stranded in heavy snow over the past few days in the remote Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce blizzard dumped heavy snowfall across the area.

Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which rests at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had guided approximately 350 hikers to security.

Previous accounts had suggested that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were projected to reach their destination by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other crew members were evacuated, according to government reports released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Recount Extreme 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 opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

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

Climbing Schedules Disrupted

The severe weather also thwarted the plans of alpinists guided by a US-based mountaineering firm to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first discovered by western explorers a century ago. In modern times, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor draw, the area has brought in an rising number of tourists. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Region Still Off-Limits

The Everest region continues to be for the time being closed to the visitors, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of trekkers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Tragically, at least one individual died, due to a combination of low body temperature and high-altitude illness.

Unusual Weather

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