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Trekkers have recounted facing "harsh" situations after an unexpected snowstorm during one of China's most crowded festive periods trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort.

Rescue Operations In Progress

Chinese authorities reported that approximately 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 were still trapped at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Large groups of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break 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 campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"This was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my trekking adventures, without question," a Chinese trekker stated on social media, describing a "violent convective blizzard on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the late hours and noticed that the snow had nearly covered the peak," 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 group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as accumulation rapidly built up around their shelters, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the conditions deteriorated.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we discovered the snow was intense in the lowlands as well; locals, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were extremely worried."

The northern and eastern side of Everest is easier to reach than sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws high numbers of tourists for less technical trekking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage shared on the internet depicted shelters buried in snow and rows of trekkers moving through waist-high snowbanks to get down the mountain.

"It was very deep, and the path very slick. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were picked up by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibet-side starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

At least 200 additional were still stranded but had been reached, the updates indicated. Local news stated that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from obstructing the exit route.

There was little official reporting or updated information about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted individuals on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The region is tightly controlled by the authorities, and media entry is limited. The weather also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers said power was out in Qudang when they reached the town.

Seasonal Context

October is a peak season for the area, with usually clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 participants of a hiking party that made it back to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

"The guide said he had never encountered such weather in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly."

The regional travel department said admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday.

Broader Effects

Neighbouring countries were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains triggered mudslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.