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Emergency crews have successfully guided all of the remaining adventurers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including numerous of native guides and animal tenders, officials announced. This marks the end one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts ever conducted in the area.

Massive Rescue Effort Completed

Hundreds of explorers were found themselves stuck in deep snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an exceptionally fierce snowstorm deposited substantial snowfall across the territory.

Snow kept coming down all day Saturday in the valley, which is located 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 suggested that the last group of roughly 200 hikers were anticipated to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other assistants were evacuated, according to authoritative reports released on Tuesday night.

Those Rescued Recount Extreme Conditions

One Chinese hiker shared how their group had been “too frightened to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, obliging them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the situation deteriorated.

“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; local residents, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Schedules Disrupted

The snowstorm also disrupted the goals of mountaineers escorted by a US-based climbing outfit to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between China and Nepal.

Tourism Growth in the Area

Karma valley was first visited by western adventurers a hundred years ago. In modern times, with the growth of the Everest region in Tibet as a significant travel draw, the area has attracted an increasing number of travelers. More than 540,000 tourists traveled to the Everest region last year, setting a new record.

Area Remains Closed

The Everest region is still temporarily off-limits to the public, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The heavy snowfall over the weekend also affected numerous of hikers in other parts of western China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one person lost their life, due to a mix of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness.

Unusual Conditions

October is typically a peak season for the area, with typically fine and mild weather, but one trekker of an 18-person expedition team that got back to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “atypical.”