🔗 Share this article

Trekkers have recounted encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China stated that approximately 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, stranding hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, describing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the accumulation had nearly buried the peak," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the storm was intense in the lowlands too; locals, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage shared on the internet showed tents covered by snow and lines of hikers moving through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from obstructing the exit route.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The conditions also seemed to have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"Our leader told us he had never encountered conditions like this in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

The regional travel department announced admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.