🔗 Share this article

Trekkers have recounted facing "extreme" conditions after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities reported that approximately 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 Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme weather I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, describing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the snow had nearly covered the top," said another trekker on a social platform. "That was the first time I truly felt the fear of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the neighboring side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted shelters buried in snow and rows of trekkers walking through deep drifts to get down the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, others were bumped by yaks," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

There was minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected individuals on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is restricted. The weather also appears to have have disrupted local communications, with calls to local businesses 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 conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

The regional travel department said ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.