🔗 Share this article

Hikers have recounted facing "extreme" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, stranding hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, detailing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the accumulation had nearly covered the peak," shared a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance 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 shelters, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we discovered the snow was heavy in the lowlands too; locals, 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 neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet showed tents buried in snow and rows of trekkers walking through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by yaks," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also appears to have have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the area, with usually clear and mild conditions, but one trekker, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

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

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.