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Trekkers have recounted facing "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China stated that around 350 people 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 tourists had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, stranding numerous of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang said on social media, describing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had nearly covered the peak," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. That's when we learned the storm was heavy in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than locations on the neighboring side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for easier trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted shelters covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, 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 small town about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Local news reported that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted individuals on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with usually calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, commented that the weather this year was "not normal."

"The guide said he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.