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Hikers have recounted facing "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China reported that around 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of individuals at campsites at an altitude 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," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had almost buried the peak," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to go down on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the snow was intense in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted shelters buried in snow and lines of trekkers walking through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Hikers often slipped – a few tumbled, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news stated that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm 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 disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the region, with usually clear and mild conditions, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "not normal."

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

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.