🔗 Share this article All Mountaineers Currently Secure Following Days Stranded in Intense Snowstorm Rescue teams have safely led all of the remaining hikers near the eastern slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, along with hundreds of regional escorts and yak herders, authorities stated. This marks the end one of the largest rescue and recovery efforts ever seen in the area. Massive Evacuation Effort Concluded Numerous of explorers were left stranded in thick snow over the recent weekend in the isolated Karma valley, after an exceptionally intense blizzard dumped substantial snowfall across the territory. Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had escorted approximately 350 hikers to safety. Initial updates had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were anticipated to reach a secure area by Tuesday. In total, 580 mountaineers, in addition to more than 300 local guides, livestock herders, and other support staff were brought out, according to authoritative reports released on Tuesday evening. Survivors Describe Severe Situations One from China hiker 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 decided to move to lower ground on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated. “On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we realized the snow was heavy in the valley, too; local residents, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.” Climbing Plans Thwarted The blizzard also hindered the objectives of mountaineers led by a American mountaineering firm to reach the top of Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and the nation of Nepal. Tourism Growth in the Area Karma valley was first explored by western explorers a hundred years ago. In recent years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism destination, the area has brought in an rising number of tourists. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a new record. Region Still Off-Limits The Everest region continues to be for the time being closed to the visitors, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu. Broader Effect The heavy snowfall over the weekend also influenced many of hikers in other parts of western China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one person succumbed, due to a combination of hypothermia and acute mountain sickness. Unusual Weather October is typically a peak season for the area, with normally sunny and mild weather, but one participant of an 18-person trekking group that returned safely to Qudang noted that the weather this year was “not normal.”