Mount Everest Trekkers Report 'Severe' Conditions as Massive Operation Continues

Hikers have described facing "harsh" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities reported that approximately 350 individuals 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 area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, stranding hundreds of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking adventures, without question," Dong Shuchang said on social media, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the snow had almost buried the peak," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we discovered the storm was intense in the valley too; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

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

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet showed shelters buried in snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the reports indicated. Media outlets stated that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with typically clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it occurred very abruptly."

The local tourism authority said admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.