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Trekkers have recounted encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China reported that around 350 individuals had made their way down 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.

Crowds of tourists had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of individuals at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme weather I've ever faced in all my hiking adventures, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the accumulation had almost buried the top," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the storm was intense in the valley as well; locals, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and attracts high numbers of visitors for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted shelters covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports said. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The conditions 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 reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the area, with typically clear and mild conditions, but one trekker, among 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual."

"The guide said he had never encountered conditions like this in October. And it occurred very abruptly."

The local tourism authority said ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from Saturday.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.