🔗 Share this article

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

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China stated that approximately 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 journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of individuals at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my trekking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and saw that the snow had nearly buried the peak," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it hourly. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the lowlands too; locals, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations 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 shelters buried in snow and lines of trekkers moving through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who clarified that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports said. Media outlets reported that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from obstructing the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. 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 attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the area, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had never encountered conditions like this in October. And it occurred very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.