🔗 Share this article The World's Highest Peak Trekkers Describe 'Extreme' Weather as Large-Scale Rescue Effort Persists Hikers have recounted facing "extreme" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking 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 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border. Crowds of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected 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 conditions I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, describing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest. "Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the accumulation had almost covered the top," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being engulfed by snow." Personal Accounts A hiker from China said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it hourly. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated. "During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we learned the snow was heavy in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to reach their family 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 less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak. Online Documentation Photos and video shared on the internet showed shelters covered by snow and lines of trekkers moving through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain. "It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus. Current Status By Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media reported. No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Local news stated that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out. There was little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected individuals on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town. Seasonal Context Autumn is a busy period for the region, with usually clear and mild conditions, but one trekker, among 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal." "The guide said he had not experienced such weather in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly." The local tourism authority announced admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday. Broader Effects Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.