The World's Highest Peak Hikers Describe 'Severe' Weather as Massive Rescue Effort Continues

Trekkers have recounted encountering "extreme" situations after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Officials in China stated that approximately 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of individuals at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my trekking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, describing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the accumulation had almost covered the peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as snow rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend 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 snow was heavy in the lowlands too; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the Nepal side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet showed tents covered by snow and rows of hikers walking through deep drifts to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

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

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news reported that hundreds of rescuers had gone up 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 the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

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

The local tourism authority announced admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.