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Rescue teams have safely led all of the remaining adventurers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to security, including numerous of regional escorts and livestock handlers, authorities announced. This marks the end one of the most extensive search-and-rescue missions ever conducted in the region.

Large-Scale Rescue Effort Concluded

Hundreds of hikers were left stranded in deep snow over the recent weekend in the secluded Karma valley, after an unexpectedly powerful winter blast unleashed significant snowfall across the area.

Snow continued to fall throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had guided approximately 350 hikers to security.

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

In total, 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 guides, livestock herders, and other assistants were rescued, according to government announcements released on Tuesday late in the day.

Those Rescued Describe Extreme Situations

One from China traveler described how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, compelling them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the situation worsened.

“On the way, we encountered our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we realized the snow was deep in the valley, too; villagers, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Schedules Thwarted

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

Visitor Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by western adventurers a century ago. In modern times, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent travel draw, the area has brought in an growing number of tourists. More than 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region last year, establishing a unprecedented number.

Area Still Off-Limits

The Everest region remains temporarily inaccessible to the visitors, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced hundreds of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, such as Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one person succumbed, due to a combination of exposure and altitude sickness.

Atypical Conditions

October is typically a busy season for the area, with typically sunny and mild weather, but one trekker of an 18-person trekking group that got back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “not normal.”