Mount Everest Trekkers Describe 'Severe' Conditions as Massive Rescue Effort Persists

Trekkers have described encountering "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 individuals had descended safely 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 eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding numerous of individuals at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on social media, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the accumulation had almost covered the top," shared a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video posted online depicted tents buried in snow and rows of trekkers moving through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

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

Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected individuals 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 weather also appears to have have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with typically clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

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

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.