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Search parties have escorted all of the remaining adventurers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to safety, along with scores of native guides and yak herders, officials stated. This marks the end one of the most extensive rescue and recovery missions ever seen in the zone.

Massive Rescue Effort Concluded

Numerous of hikers were found themselves stuck in heavy snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally intense snowstorm unleashed substantial snowfall across the area.

Snow continued to fall all day Saturday in the valley, which rests at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescue personnel had guided approximately 350 hikers to a safe zone.

Previous accounts had indicated that the last group of roughly 200 travelers were projected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 escorts, yak herders, and other support staff were rescued, according to government reports released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Recount Severe Conditions

One from China hiker described how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather became more severe.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we learned the snow was intense in the valley, too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The severe weather also disrupted the objectives of mountaineers guided by a United States expedition firm to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by foreign travelers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant tourism destination, the area has attracted an rising number of travelers. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number.

Region Remains Off-Limits

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

Wider Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one person died, due to a mix of exposure and altitude sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with normally sunny and pleasant weather, but one trekker of an 18-person trekking group that made it back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “atypical.”