The World's Highest Peak Trekkers Describe 'Extreme' Weather as Massive Rescue Effort Persists

Trekkers have described facing "extreme" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods trapped numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

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

Large groups of visitors had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on the weekend, trapping numerous of individuals at tent sites 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, without question," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, describing a "intense snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and saw that the snow had almost buried the peak," said another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Personal Accounts

A hiker from China mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the storm was intense in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of visitors for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted shelters covered by snow and rows of trekkers walking through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 individuals had reached Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources announced.

No fewer than 200 additional remained trapped but had been reached, the reports said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but one trekker, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, commented that the weather 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 announced ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in Nepal.