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

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of individuals at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme weather I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

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

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to remove it hourly. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the snow was heavy in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and draws large crowds of tourists for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online showed tents buried in snow and rows of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Media outlets reported that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from obstructing the exit route.

There was minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. 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 calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

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

"The guide said he had not experienced such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours caused landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.