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Trekkers have described encountering "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue effort.

Evacuation Efforts Underway

Officials in China 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 visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of individuals at campsites at an elevation 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 said on social media, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had almost covered the top," shared another trekker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation quickly piled up around their tents, compelling them to remove it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the storm was heavy in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the Nepal side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for less technical hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

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

"The snow was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," said one, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates said. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with typically clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual."

"Our leader told us he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

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

Regional Impact

Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.