The World's Highest Peak Hikers Describe 'Severe' Conditions as Large-Scale Rescue Effort Continues

Trekkers have recounted encountering "extreme" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme weather I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and saw that the accumulation had almost buried the peak," said a hiker on a social platform. "That was the first time I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to clear it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was heavy in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of visitors for easier hiking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed tents buried in snow and lines of hikers moving through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, others were bumped by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources reported.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the updates said. Local news reported that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

There was minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "unusual."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced such weather in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

The local tourism authority announced admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused landslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.