Mount Everest Hikers Describe 'Extreme' Conditions as Large-Scale Operation Continues

Hikers have recounted encountering "extreme" conditions after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities reported that around 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of people at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, describing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the snow had nearly covered the peak," shared a hiker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted tents covered by snow and lines of trekkers moving through deep drifts to get down the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the path very slick. Hikers often slipped – some fell, others were bumped by yaks," said one, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the updates said. Local news stated that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is restricted. The weather also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened very abruptly."

The local tourism authority announced ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.