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Hikers have recounted facing "harsh" conditions after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations Underway

Officials in China reported that approximately 350 people had made their way down 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 area for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, describing a "intense blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and saw that the accumulation had almost buried the top," shared a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it hourly. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and attracts large crowds of tourists for less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted tents covered by snow and rows of trekkers walking through deep drifts to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the path very slick. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media reported.

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

There was minimal updates or new details about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted anyone on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with attempts to contact shops failing. A number of hikers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the region, with typically calm and pleasant weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened very abruptly."

The regional travel department announced admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since Friday in the neighboring country.