Mount Everest Hikers Report 'Severe' Conditions as Massive Operation Persists

Hikers have recounted encountering "harsh" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Chinese authorities reported that around 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of individuals at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, describing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the accumulation had nearly buried the peak," shared a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of visitors for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted tents covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Local news stated that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

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

The regional travel department said ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.