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Hikers have recounted encountering "harsh" conditions after an unseasonable blizzard during one of China's most crowded festive periods trapped hundreds of individuals on Mount Everest, sparking a large-scale 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 east of the mountain, on the Tibet side of the border.

Crowds of visitors had journeyed to the region for "Golden Week," an week-long holiday period in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, trapping hundreds of people at tent sites at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet).

"It was the harshest weather I've experienced in all my hiking adventures, undoubtedly," Dong Shuchang said on social media, detailing a "violent convective snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"I looked up in the middle of the night and saw that the accumulation had nearly covered the top," said a hiker on Xiaohongshu. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the fear of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

A hiker from China said their group had been "too scared to sleep" on that night as snow rapidly built up around their shelters, compelling them to clear it hourly. They decided to go down on the next day as the conditions deteriorated.

"On the way, we met our guide’s parent who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the snow was heavy 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 sites on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak.

Visual Evidence

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

"It was very deep, and the path extremely slippery. Trekkers stumbled frequently – some fell, others were bumped by pack animals," said one, who added that all safely descended and were transported by bus.

Latest Developments

By the weekend, about 350 people had reached Qudang, a village roughly 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan base camp of Everest, "in good health," state media announced.

No fewer than 200 more were still stranded but had been contacted, the updates indicated. Media outlets stated that hundreds of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from blocking the exit route.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the rescue effort on Monday. It was also not clear if the weather had affected individuals on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is restricted. The conditions also appears to have have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses not connecting. Several trekkers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they arrived.

Seasonal Context

October is a busy period for the region, with usually clear and mild conditions, but Chen Geshuang, one of 18 members of a trekking group that returned to Qudang, said that the climate this year was "not normal."

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

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

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and sudden flooding that have closed routes, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since Friday in the neighboring country.