🔗 Share this article The World's Highest Peak Hikers Describe 'Severe' Weather as Massive Operation Persists Trekkers have recounted facing "extreme" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation. Rescue Operations In Progress Chinese authorities reported that approximately 350 individuals 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 control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of people at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet). "It was the most extreme conditions I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, without question," Dong Shuchang said on social media, detailing a "intense blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest. "I looked up in the late hours and saw that the snow had almost buried the peak," shared a hiker on a social platform. "That was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive." Personal Accounts A hiker from China said their party had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on the next day as the weather deteriorated. "During the descent, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned." The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and attracts high numbers of visitors for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak. Online Documentation Images and footage shared on the internet showed tents covered by snow and lines of trekkers walking through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain. "It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus. Current Status By the weekend, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported. At least 200 additional remained trapped but had been reached, the reports indicated. Local news reported that hundreds of emergency workers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the way out. There was minimal updates or updated information about the operation on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also seemed to have affected phone services, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived. Seasonal Context Autumn is a peak season for the region, with typically clear and mild weather, but one trekker, among 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual." "Our leader said he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it happened very abruptly." The local tourism authority announced admissions and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend. Broader Effects Adjacent nations were affected as well by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.