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Trekkers have recounted facing "harsh" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue effort.

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities reported that approximately 350 individuals 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 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 hundreds of individuals at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the accumulation had nearly buried the top," shared another trekker on a social platform. "That was the first time I truly felt the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China mentioned their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we discovered the snow was heavy 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 more accessible than locations on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video shared on the internet depicted shelters buried in snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the trail very slick. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 individuals had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources reported.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the reports said. Media outlets stated that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from obstructing the way out.

There was minimal updates or new details about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the weather had affected anyone on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is tightly controlled by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a peak season for the region, with usually clear and mild conditions, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had never encountered conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly."

The local tourism authority announced admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.