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Trekkers have recounted encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

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

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding numerous of individuals at tent sites 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, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and saw that the snow had almost covered the top," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it hourly. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted tents covered by snow and lines of trekkers walking through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the trail very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By the weekend, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets stated that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the way out.

There was minimal updates or updated information about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the weather had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have affected phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with usually clear and mild weather, but one trekker, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide said he had not experienced such weather in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

The local tourism authority said admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.