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Trekkers have described encountering "extreme" conditions after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

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

Crowds of visitors had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, 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 most extreme weather I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, detailing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had almost buried the peak," shared another trekker on a social platform. "That was the first time I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was heavy in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video posted online showed shelters covered by snow and rows of trekkers walking through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," 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 arrived in Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media reported.

At least 200 additional remained trapped but had been contacted, the reports said. Media outlets stated that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. It was also not clear if the weather had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The weather also appears to have have affected phone services, with calls to local businesses failing. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with usually clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "not normal."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.