🔗 Share this article Mount Everest Trekkers Report 'Extreme' Conditions as Large-Scale Rescue Effort Persists Trekkers have described facing "extreme" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded numerous of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort. Evacuation Efforts Underway Chinese authorities stated that approximately 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 Tibetan side of the border. Large groups of tourists had traveled 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 hit the area on the weekend, stranding 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," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest. "Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had almost covered the top," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive." Personal Accounts A hiker from China said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on Sunday as the weather deteriorated. "During the descent, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned." The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of visitors for less technical hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak. Visual Evidence Images and footage posted online showed tents covered by snow and rows of hikers walking through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain. "It was very deep, and the trail very slick. Hikers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus. Latest Developments By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media announced. At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Media outlets stated that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from obstructing the exit route. Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers said power was out in Qudang when they arrived. Seasonal Context October is a busy period for the area, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but one trekker, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal." "The guide told us he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly." The local tourism authority said ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday. Regional Impact Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered landslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.