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

Trekkers have described encountering "harsh" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities reported that around 350 individuals 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.

Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected 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 trekking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, describing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and saw that the snow had nearly buried the peak," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we discovered the snow was heavy in the valley as well; locals, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

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

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Local news stated that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the way out.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area 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. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with usually calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.