🔗 Share this article Mount Everest Trekkers Report 'Extreme' Conditions as Massive Operation Persists Hikers have recounted encountering "extreme" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort. Rescue Operations In Progress Chinese authorities stated that around 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. Large groups of visitors had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, stranding hundreds of individuals at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet). "This was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" 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 initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive." Personal Accounts A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on the next day as the weather worsened. "On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we discovered the snow was intense in the valley 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 attracts high numbers of visitors for less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak. Online Documentation Images and footage posted online depicted shelters covered by snow and rows of hikers moving through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain. "The snow was extremely thick, and the path 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. Current Status By the weekend, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," state media announced. At least 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Local news reported that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out. Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town. Seasonal Context Autumn is a peak season for the region, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal." "Our leader said he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it occurred all too suddenly." The local tourism authority said admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend. Regional Impact Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.