🔗 Share this article All Hikers Now Safe After Days Trapped in Intense Blizzard Emergency crews have safely led all of the last trekkers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with hundreds of local guides and livestock handlers, officials announced. This concludes one of the largest rescue and recovery efforts ever seen in the region. Massive Rescue Operation Concluded Several hundred of explorers were found themselves stuck in heavy snow over the past few days in the secluded Karma valley, after an unusually fierce blizzard deposited substantial snowfall across the area. Snow kept coming down throughout Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had led approximately 350 hikers to security. Previous accounts had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were anticipated to reach safety by Tuesday. In total, 580 trekkers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, yak herders, and other crew members were brought out, according to government reports released on Tuesday evening. Survivors Recount Harsh Conditions One from China traveler shared how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to move to lower ground on Sunday as the weather became more severe. “On the way, we met 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 very anxious.” Expedition Schedules Disrupted The severe weather also thwarted the objectives of mountaineers led by a American mountaineering company to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the boundary between China and the nation of Nepal. Tourism Increase in the Area Karma valley was first visited by international explorers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism destination, the area has attracted an rising number of travelers. More than 540,000 visitors explored the Everest region last year, setting a new record. Region Still Off-Limits The Everest region is still for the time being inaccessible to the public, covering the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu. Wider Impact The heavy snowfall over the weekend also impacted numerous of hikers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one individual lost their life, due to a combination of hypothermia and high-altitude illness. Atypical Conditions October is typically a peak season for the area, with usually sunny and pleasant weather, but one trekker of an 18-person hiking party that made it back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”