🔗 Share this article

Trekkers have described facing "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 350 individuals had descended safely 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 visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of individuals at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my hiking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and saw that the accumulation had nearly buried the top," said another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the first time I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the valley as well; villagers, 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 tourists for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers moving through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, some were jostled by yaks," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources reported.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Local news stated that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the exit route.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. 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 Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions 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 peak season for the region, with typically clear and mild weather, but one trekker, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in the neighboring country.