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Hikers have recounted facing "harsh" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities stated that around 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping hundreds of people at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on social media, describing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had nearly buried the top," said another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it hourly. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was intense in the valley too; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

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 hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet showed shelters buried in snow and lines of trekkers walking through deep drifts to get down the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the trail very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who clarified that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the reports indicated. Local news stated that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the weather had affected anyone on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The conditions also seemed to have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the area, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"Our leader said he had never encountered conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly."

The regional travel department said admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.