🔗 Share this article Every Single Mountaineers Currently Out of Danger After Multiple Days Stranded in Powerful Blizzard Emergency crews have safely led all of the last adventurers near the east-facing slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with hundreds of local guides and yak herders, officials announced. This concludes one of the largest rescue and recovery operations ever seen in the zone. Massive Evacuation Operation Completed Numerous of hikers were became trapped in heavy snow over the weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce snowstorm unleashed significant snowfall across the region. Snow continued to fall throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had led approximately 350 hikers to security. Earlier reports had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were anticipated to reach their destination by Tuesday. In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 escorts, animal handlers, and other crew members were evacuated, according to government reports released on Tuesday late in the day. Survivors Recount Extreme Situations One from China hiker described how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, forcing them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the conditions became more severe. “On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we found out the snow was intense in the valley, too; local residents, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.” Climbing Schedules Disrupted The severe weather also disrupted the goals of alpinists guided by a American climbing firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal. Tourism Growth in the Area Karma valley was first visited by international explorers a century ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a major travel attraction, the area has drawn an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 tourists traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a new record. Region Remains Off-Limits The Everest region continues to be for the time being closed to the general public, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu. Broader Impact The intense snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person lost their life, due to a blend of exposure and altitude sickness. Atypical Conditions October is typically a peak season for the area, with typically clear and moderate weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang commented that the weather this year was “not normal.”