🔗 Share this article The World's Highest Peak Hikers Describe 'Extreme' Conditions as Massive Rescue Effort Persists Hikers have recounted facing "harsh" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest holiday weekends trapped hundreds of people on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation. Evacuation Efforts In Progress Officials in China stated that around 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, situated to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border. Crowds of visitors had traveled to the area for "Golden Week," an week-long festive break in China. However, local officials, who control the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had hit the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping numerous of individuals at campsites at an altitude of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet). "It was the harshest conditions I've ever faced in all my trekking experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on Weibo, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest. "I looked up in the late hours and saw that the accumulation had almost buried the peak," said another trekker on a social platform. "It was the initial instance I genuinely experienced the terror of being engulfed by snow." Personal Accounts One Chinese trekker mentioned their group had been "too scared to sleep" on Saturday as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to go down on Sunday as the weather worsened. "On the way, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. That's when we learned the snow was heavy 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 draws large crowds of tourists for easier trekking, without summiting the peak. Visual Evidence Photos and video shared on the internet depicted shelters buried in snow and lines of hikers moving through waist-high drifts to descend the mountain. "The snow was extremely thick, and the trail extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus. Latest Developments By Sunday afternoon, approximately 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a small town roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan starting point of Everest, "in good health," state media reported. At least 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the reports indicated. Media outlets reported that scores of rescuers had ascended the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route. There was minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had impacted anyone on the northern side of Everest, within the same region. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also appears to have have affected phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers said electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived. Weather Patterns Autumn is a busy period for the region, with typically clear and mild conditions, but one trekker, one of 18 members of a hiking party that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "unusual." "The guide told us he had not experienced conditions like this in October. And it occurred all too suddenly." The regional travel department said admissions and access to the Everest Scenic Area were halted from Saturday. Broader Effects Neighbouring countries were affected as well by extreme weather. Torrential downpours caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and claimed the lives of at least 47 people since Friday in the neighboring country.