Mount Everest Hikers Describe 'Extreme' Weather as Large-Scale Operation Persists

Trekkers have described encountering "harsh" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that approximately 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of individuals at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the snow had nearly buried the peak," shared another trekker on a social platform. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was intense in the lowlands too; locals, unable to reach their family 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 attracts large crowds of visitors for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

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

"It was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing 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 weather had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also appears to have have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.