Mount Everest Trekkers Describe 'Extreme' Weather as Massive Operation Persists

Trekkers have recounted facing "harsh" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 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.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of individuals 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 hiking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, describing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the snow had almost covered the top," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it hourly. They chose to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the storm was heavy in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

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

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted tents covered by snow and lines of hikers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," official sources announced.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been reached, the updates said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from blocking the exit route.

There was minimal updates or new details about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had affected anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is restricted. The conditions also seemed to have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a busy period for the region, with typically clear and mild 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 told us he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.