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Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" situations after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Rescue Operations Underway

Chinese authorities stated that approximately 350 individuals had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Large groups of tourists had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping hundreds of people at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest conditions I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on social media, detailing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the late hours and noticed that the snow had nearly buried the top," shared a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

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 hourly. They decided to descend on the next day as the weather worsened.

"On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was intense in the valley too; locals, unable to reach their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is more accessible than locations on the neighboring side of the border and attracts high numbers of visitors 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 get down the mountain.

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

Current Status

By the weekend, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports said. Media outlets reported that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and clear snow from blocking the way out.

There was minimal updates or new details about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the region, with usually clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

"Our leader told us he had never encountered such weather in October. And it occurred all too suddenly."

The local tourism authority said ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were affected as well by severe conditions. Heavy rains caused landslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since Friday in Nepal.