The World's Highest Peak Hikers Report 'Extreme' Weather as Large-Scale Rescue Effort Continues

Trekkers have recounted encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that around 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, detailing 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 covered the top," shared a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the storm was intense in the valley too; locals, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the Nepal side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for easier hiking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video posted online depicted tents covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, 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," state media reported.

At least 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The conditions also appears to have have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, among 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"Our leader said he had never encountered conditions like this in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.