🔗 Share this article All Mountaineers Now Secure Following Multiple Days Caught in Intense Snowstorm Rescue teams have successfully guided all of the remaining hikers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to security, along with numerous of native guides and livestock handlers, local government reported. This wraps up one of the most extensive rescue and recovery efforts ever seen in the zone. Massive Rescue Effort Completed Hundreds of hikers were found themselves stuck in thick snow over the weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unexpectedly fierce winter blast unleashed heavy snowfall across the region. Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which rests at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had led approximately 350 hikers to safety. Initial updates had indicated that the remaining roughly 200 individuals were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday. In total, 580 hikers, coupled with more than 300 escorts, yak herders, and other crew members were evacuated, according to official announcements released on Tuesday evening. Those Rescued Recount Harsh Conditions One Chinese traveler recalled how their group had been “too anxious to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, obliging them to clear it every 90 minutes. They opted to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather worsened. “On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had come looking for him. That’s when we realized the snow was intense in the valley, too; local residents, incapable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.” Expedition Plans Disrupted The blizzard also thwarted the goals of alpinists led by a United States mountaineering firm to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between China and Nepal. Visitor Increase in the Area Karma valley was first visited by foreign travelers a century ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent visitor attraction, the area has drawn an growing number of visitors. More than 540,000 visitors visited the Everest region last year, setting a unprecedented number. Region Still Closed The Everest region is still temporarily off-limits to the visitors, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu. Broader Impact The intense snowfall over the weekend also influenced many of trekkers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Unfortunately, at least one individual died, due to a mix of low body temperature and high-altitude illness. Unusual Weather October is typically a high season for the area, with typically fine and moderate weather, but one participant of an 18-person hiking party that got back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”