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Hikers have described facing "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Chinese authorities reported that approximately 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located 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 holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of people at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've ever faced in all my trekking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker said on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had nearly buried the top," shared a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on the next day as the weather 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 valley as well; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted tents covered by snow and lines of hikers walking through deep snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the path very slick. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By Sunday afternoon, about 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 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Media outlets reported that hundreds of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the exit route.

There was little official reporting or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the weather had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also appears to have have affected local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

Autumn is a busy period for the region, with usually clear and mild conditions, but one trekker, among 18 participants of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

The regional travel department said admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended 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 killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.