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Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities reported that around 350 people 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 tourists had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of individuals at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my trekking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang said on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had almost covered the top," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They chose to go down on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. That's when we discovered the storm was intense in the lowlands too; locals, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for less technical hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Images and footage shared on the internet showed tents covered by snow and rows of hikers moving through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets stated that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had never encountered conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred all too suddenly."

The regional travel department said admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.