Mount Everest Hikers Report 'Extreme' Weather as Large-Scale Operation Continues

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

Rescue Operations In Progress

Officials in China reported that around 350 individuals had made their way down 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 holiday period in China. However, Chinese authorities, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, confirmed heavy snowfall had hit the area on the weekend, trapping hundreds of individuals at tent sites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the most extreme weather I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, undoubtedly," a Chinese trekker said on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and noticed that the accumulation had nearly buried the peak," shared a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Personal Accounts

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow rapidly built up around their tents, compelling them to remove it hourly. They decided to descend on the next day as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide’s parent who had searched for him. It was then we learned the snow was heavy in the valley too; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The northern and eastern 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 hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online depicted shelters covered by snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down and were picked up by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

No fewer than 200 more remained trapped but had been reached, the updates indicated. Media outlets stated that scores of rescuers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or updated information about the operation on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have affected phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the area, with typically calm and pleasant conditions, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 participants of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "unusual."

"Our leader said he had never encountered conditions like this in October. And it happened all too suddenly."

The local tourism authority announced ticket sales and access to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries 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 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.