Mount Everest hikers describe extreme' conditions as huge rescue effort continues

"Trekkers have described facing extreme conditions after an unseasonable snowstorm during one of China's busiest holiday weekends stranded hundreds of people on Mount Everest, sparking a massive rescue effort. Chinese authorities said about 350 people had made their way down but at least 200 remained stranded at the Everest Scenic Area, to the east of the mountain, on the Tibetan side of the border. Crowds of tourists had travelled to the region for Golden Week, an eight-day holiday period in China."

"One Chinese trekker said their group had been too scared to sleep on Saturday as snow quickly piled up around their tents, forcing them to clear it every 90 minutes. They decided to descend on Sunday as the weather worsened. On the way, we met our guide's father who had come looking for him. That's when we learned the snow was heavy in the valley, too; villagers, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried."

"The northern and eastern side of Everest is more accessible than sites on the Nepal side of the border, and draws high numbers of visitors for less technical trekking, without summiting the peak. Photos and video posted online showed tents buried in snow, and lines of trekkers walking through waist-high drifts to get down the mountain. The snow was very deep, and the trail extremely slippery."

An unseasonable snowstorm during Golden Week stranded hundreds of trekkers on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest, prompting a major rescue operation. Authorities said about 350 people descended while at least 200 remained stranded in the Everest Scenic Area. Heavy snowfall on Friday and Saturday nights trapped people at campsites above 4,900 metres. Trekkers reported violent convective snowstorms, tents buried in snow, waist-high drifts and extreme fear of being buried alive. Many groups repeatedly cleared snow from tents and descended as conditions worsened. Villagers and families were worried due to lost contact with trekkers, and photos showed deep snow and slippery trails.

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