đŸ”— Share this article Mount Everest Hikers Describe 'Severe' Weather as Large-Scale Operation Persists Trekkers have recounted encountering "harsh" situations after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort. Rescue Operations In Progress Chinese authorities reported that approximately 350 individuals had descended safely but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, located to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border. Large groups of visitors had journeyed to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had affected the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of people at campsites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet). "This was the most extreme weather I've ever faced in all my trekking experiences, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest. "I looked up in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had nearly buried the peak," shared a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "That was the first time I truly felt the terror of being engulfed by snow." Eyewitness Reports A hiker from China said their group had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on the next day as the weather deteriorated. "On the way, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the lowlands as well; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried." The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the Nepal side of the border and attracts high numbers of tourists for easier hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak. Online Documentation Images and footage shared on the internet showed shelters buried in snow and lines of hikers moving through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain. "It was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – a few tumbled, some were jostled by pack animals," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus. Current Status By the weekend, approximately 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town about 30 miles away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "safe and sound," official sources reported. No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Media outlets stated that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and remove accumulation from obstructing the exit route. There was minimal updates or new details about the operation on Monday. Uncertainty remained if the storm had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the Chinese government, and media entry is limited. The conditions also seemed to have disrupted local communications, with attempts to contact shops not connecting. Several trekkers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived. Seasonal Context October is a peak season for the area, with typically clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "not normal." "Our leader told us he had not experienced conditions like this in the fall. And it happened all too suddenly." The local tourism authority said ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from the weekend. Regional Impact Neighbouring countries were also hit by severe conditions. Torrential downpours triggered landslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, destroyed crossings, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.