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Hikers have described encountering "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China reported that approximately 350 people had descended safely but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme weather I've experienced in all my trekking experiences, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the snow had almost buried the peak," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it hourly. They chose to descend on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the storm was heavy in the valley too; locals, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of tourists for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers moving 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 pack animals," noted a trekker, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," state media reported.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Media outlets reported that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the area, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"The guide said he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in Nepal.