🔗 Share this article The World's Highest Peak Trekkers Report 'Extreme' Conditions as Large-Scale Rescue Effort Persists Trekkers have recounted facing "extreme" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort. Rescue Operations Underway Officials in China stated that approximately 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border. Crowds of tourists had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, trapping numerous of individuals at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet). "This was the harshest weather I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest. "I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had almost covered the top," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive." Eyewitness Reports One Chinese trekker said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on the next day as the weather deteriorated. "During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the storm was heavy in the valley as well; villagers, unable to reach 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 attracts large crowds of visitors for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak. Online Documentation Images and footage shared on the internet showed tents covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain. "It was very deep, and the trail very slick. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, others were bumped by yaks," said one, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus. Current Status By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported. At least 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the exit route. Officials provided minimal updates or updated information about the operation on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The conditions also appears to have have affected phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived. Seasonal Context October is a peak season for the region, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal." "The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened very abruptly." The local tourism authority said ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend. Regional Impact Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Torrential downpours caused landslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.