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Hikers have described facing "extreme" conditions after an unexpected blizzard during one of China's busiest festive periods trapped numerous of people on Mount Everest, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Rescue Operations In Progress

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

Large groups of visitors had traveled to the region for "Golden Week," an eight-day festive break in China. However, local officials, who administer the Tibetan Autonomous Region, said intense snow had affected the area on Friday and Saturday night, stranding hundreds of individuals 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 experiences, without question," Dong Shuchang said on Weibo, detailing a "intense snowstorm on the east face" of Everest.

"Glancing upward in the middle of the night and saw that the snow had nearly buried the peak," said a hiker on a social platform. "It was the first time I genuinely experienced the terror of being buried alive."

Eyewitness Reports

One Chinese trekker mentioned their party had been "too frightened to sleep" on Saturday as snow rapidly built up around their tents, forcing them to remove it hourly. They decided to go down on Sunday as the weather deteriorated.

"During the descent, we encountered our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the snow was intense in the lowlands too; villagers, unable to contact their family on the mountain, were deeply concerned."

The north and east side of Everest is easier to reach than locations on the neighboring side of the border and draws large crowds of visitors for less technical hiking, not requiring ascent of the peak.

Online Documentation

Images and footage posted online showed shelters covered by snow and rows of hikers moving through waist-high snowbanks to descend the mountain.

"The snow was extremely thick, and the path extremely slippery. Hikers stumbled frequently – some fell, some were jostled by yaks," said one, who clarified that everyone made it down 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 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 said. Local news reported that scores of emergency workers had gone up the mountain to help people and clear snow from obstructing the way out.

Officials provided little official reporting or new details about the rescue effort on the following day. Uncertainty remained if the weather had affected anyone on the north face of Everest, also in Tibet. The region is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, and journalistic access is limited. The weather also seemed to have disrupted phone services, with calls to local businesses failing. Several trekkers reported electricity was cut in Qudang when they reached the town.

Weather Patterns

October is a busy period for the region, with usually clear and mild weather, but Chen Geshuang, among 18 members of a trekking group that made it back to Qudang, commented that the climate this year was "not normal."

"Our leader 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 suspended from the weekend.

Broader Effects

Adjacent nations were also hit by extreme weather. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flash floods that have blocked roads, washed away bridges, and killed at least 47 individuals since the start of the weekend in the neighboring country.