Mount Everest Trekkers Describe 'Extreme' Weather as Large-Scale Rescue Effort Persists

Trekkers have described encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China stated that approximately 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of people at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had almost covered the top," shared a hiker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China mentioned their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we learned the snow was heavy in the lowlands too; locals, unable to reach their family 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 attracts high numbers of visitors for easier trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet showed tents buried in snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

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

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news stated that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is tightly controlled by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

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

"The guide said he had never encountered conditions like this in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

The regional travel department said ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend.

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.