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Hikers have described facing "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 individuals had made their way down 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, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on the weekend, trapping numerous of individuals at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker said on social media, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had nearly covered the peak," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. It was then we discovered the snow was intense in the valley too; locals, unable to contact their children 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 trekking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers moving through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the path very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media reported.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

There was little official reporting or new details about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the region, with typically clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.