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Hikers have recounted facing "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of individuals at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme weather I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, detailing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and saw that the accumulation had almost buried the top," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it hourly. They chose to descend on the next day as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the snow was intense in the valley as well; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for easier hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted tents covered by snow and rows of trekkers walking through deep drifts to get down the mountain.

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

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media reported.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news stated that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the way out.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with typically clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"Our leader said he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly."

The regional travel department 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 mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.