Mount Everest Trekkers Describe 'Severe' Weather as Large-Scale Rescue Effort Persists

Hikers have described facing "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China stated that around 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on social media, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the snow had nearly buried the peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we discovered the storm was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted shelters covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by yaks," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had never encountered conditions like this in October. And it occurred very abruptly."

The regional travel department announced ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours caused landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.