The World's Highest Peak Trekkers Report 'Severe' Weather as Large-Scale Rescue Effort Persists

Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities reported that approximately 350 people 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 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 administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of individuals at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on social media, detailing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had nearly covered the peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

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

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of visitors for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet showed shelters covered by snow and rows of trekkers walking through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also seemed to 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

October is a busy period for the area, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"Our leader told us he had never encountered conditions like this in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

The local tourism authority said admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.