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Hikers have described encountering "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's most crowded holiday weekends stranded numerous of individuals on Mount Everest, triggering a massive rescue operation.

Evacuation Efforts In Progress

Officials in China 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 eastern side of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Crowds of tourists 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, stranding 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, without question," Dong Shuchang stated on social media, describing a "violent convective snowstorm on the eastern slope" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and noticed that the snow had almost covered the top," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I truly felt the fear of being engulfed by snow."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on that night as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to clear it hourly. They chose to descend on Sunday as the conditions worsened.

"During the descent, we met our guide's father who had searched for him. It was then we learned the storm was intense in the valley too; villagers, unable to reach their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the Nepal side of the border and draws high numbers of visitors for easier hiking, without summiting the peak.

Online Documentation

Photos and video posted online depicted tents buried in snow and rows of trekkers moving through deep snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery. Trekkers often slipped – some fell, others were bumped by yaks," noted a trekker, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Current Status

By Sunday afternoon, about 350 people had arrived in Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," official sources reported.

At least 200 more remained trapped but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Media outlets reported that hundreds of rescuers had ascended the mountain to assist those trapped and remove accumulation from blocking the way out.

Officials provided minimal updates or new details about the rescue effort on the following day. It was also not clear if the storm had affected individuals on the northern side of Everest, also in Tibet. The area is strictly regulated by the authorities, and journalistic access is limited. The conditions also appears to have have affected local communications, with calls to local businesses not connecting. A number of hikers reported power was out in Qudang when they arrived.

Weather Patterns

Autumn is a peak season for the area, with typically clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the weather this year was "not normal."

"The guide told us he had never encountered conditions like this in the fall. And it occurred very abruptly."

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

Regional Impact

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, destroyed crossings, and killed at least 47 people since the start of the weekend in Nepal.