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Trekkers have described facing "harsh" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 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.

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

"It was the most extreme conditions I've ever faced in all my hiking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and saw that the snow had nearly buried the top," shared a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

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 remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we discovered the storm was heavy in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

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

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted shelters covered by snow and lines of trekkers walking through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers often slipped – some fell, others were bumped by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the updates said. Local news stated that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with usually clear and mild conditions, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual."

"The guide said he had not experienced such weather in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

The local tourism authority announced ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.