Everest Blizzard Rescue Brings Hundreds to Safety After Golden Week Storm

Hundreds brought down from Everest's eastern slopes

About 580 hikers and more than 300 local guides and yak herders were guided out of Karma Valley on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest after a powerful blizzard trapped trekking groups during China's Golden Week holiday. Local authorities reported those totals by the middle of the week, following an evacuation that brought about 350 people to safety in Qudang township by Sunday and continued into Tuesday.

Officials reported at least one death and said they had established contact with all remaining groups. Deep snow, freezing temperatures and thin air made hypothermia a serious danger as rescuers and hundreds of villagers cleared paths through drifts that reached about a meter in places.

The storm began on Friday evening and intensified through Saturday. Hikers seeking views of Everest's Kangshung face encountered lightning, driving sleet and heavy wet snow above 4,000 meters. Tents buckled, trail markers disappeared and steep sections became slippery with ice. Some groups began retreating after only a few hours on the trail, but wind and visibility of only a few meters slowed their descent.

Qudang and nearby settlements in Dingri county became reception points for exhausted trekkers. Evacuees received hot food, drinks, shelter and basic medical checks, while generators supplied electricity in rooms where people waited for conditions to improve.

Access to the Mount Everest Scenic Area was suspended and ticket sales were paused until further notice. As of October 10, 2025, the focus had shifted toward health checks, clearing roads and trails, assessing snow hazards and arranging safe onward travel. Across the border, the same period of severe Himalayan weather brought deadly floods and landslides to Nepal.

A holiday trek becomes an evacuation

Karma Valley leads toward Everest's eastern face through glacial moraines, steep gullies and high ridges that funnel wind and cloud. Trekkers visit for broad views of the world's highest mountain and then return to lower elevations to sleep. Unlike the popular approach to Everest's north face, where roads bring visitors close to the mountain, this route requires sustained walking and careful pacing.

The trail's average elevation is around 4,200 meters. At that height, the partial pressure of oxygen is roughly two thirds of its value at sea level. In simple terms, each breath supplies less oxygen, so walking with a backpack takes more effort. Deep fresh snow adds resistance to every step.

Some of the highest points near the trail corridors are above 4,900 meters, where even light work strains the lungs. For rescuers, digging out a narrow path was demanding before they could begin escorting people along it.

October usually offers clearer skies and manageable daytime temperatures after the summer monsoon weakens. Many hikers choose early October for that reason. This storm brought a sudden departure from those expectations, with wet snow clinging to tents, collapsing guy lines and burying the marks that normally help groups follow the route.

The eight day national holiday began on October 1. Known as Golden Week, it sends large numbers of travelers across China and increases traffic on alpine trails. Karma Valley attracted people seeking a quieter route to Everest's eastern face, leaving rescue coordinators with many small groups to locate when the weather changed.

How the rescue unfolded

Local governments mobilized villagers, firefighters and specialized rescue teams to reach hikers on foot. Hundreds of people worked across the valley, using shovels, snow saws and poles to reopen sections of trail. Yaks and horses helped break a path and move supplies.

The evacuation progressed over several days as crews cleared narrow passages and guided groups toward shelter:

• October 1: China's eight day Golden Week holiday began, bringing heavy travel demand.
• Friday evening: Snow swept the eastern slopes of Everest and began trapping trekking groups.
• Saturday: The blizzard intensified, with wet snow, sleet, lightning and sharply reduced visibility.
• Sunday: About 350 people had reached safety in Qudang.
• Monday and Tuesday: Rescuers brought remaining trekkers down in stages as snow settled and the risk of fresh slides eased.
• By the middle of the week: Official briefings cited about 580 hikers and more than 300 local guides and yak herders brought out of the valley.

Those later figures show why the rescue involved more people than the tourist count alone suggested. Guides and yak herders had been trapped alongside their groups and also needed a safe route down. The evacuation depended on opening enough trail for everyone to move, rather than simply reaching an individual campsite.

Wet clothing and ice slowed the retreat

Nature photographer Dong Shuchang set out to photograph the Tibetan slopes, but severe weather interrupted his trek within hours. His group reached around 4,600 meters before turning back. He described thunder and lightning continuing through a night of heavy snow.

The lightning and thunderstorms would not stop. The snowfall was so heavy I could hardly sleep.

Dong said his group became soaked despite wearing windbreakers and rain jackets. Several members showed signs of hypothermia during the slow descent toward lower ground. He described the failure of their outer clothing to keep them dry:

Our windbreakers and raincoats were no match for the snow. We were all drenched.

Sleet mixed with wet snow, and ice made footing unreliable. Dong recalled repeated falls while the group tried to retreat:

Everyone was moving slowly. The route was very slippery. I kept falling because of the ice.

Rescue teams and villagers passed Dong heading uphill. Later that night, he shared a cramped room in Qudang, where generator power helped evacuees manage while the storm eased.

Chen Geshuang, a member of an experienced trekking team, said her group began retreating when snow at its camp reached about a meter. Her account showed how difficult the conditions became even for people accustomed to mountain travel:

All of us are experienced hikers. This blizzard was still extremely difficult to deal with. I was so lucky to get out.

For these groups, reaching lower ground meant moving through the same storm that had overwhelmed their camps. Slow progress reduced the chance of slipping on steep sections, but it also prolonged their exposure to cold and wet conditions.

Tents needed constant clearing

Eric Wen, a trekker who made his way out through deep drifts, described fatigue and cold as persistent threats. Snow accumulated on tents during the night, forcing people to keep working when they needed rest. Wen explained how often his group had to remove it:

We had to clear the snow every 10 minutes. Otherwise our tents would have collapsed.

Heavy wet snow created problems both inside camps and along escape routes. Buried tent platforms made it harder to maintain shelter, while missing trail markers complicated the retreat. Groups without dedicated crews to break a path faced particularly slow and exhausting movement.

A woman whose husband was still in the mountains described the anxiety of waiting while rescuers opened the trail section by section. She also recognized the difficulty facing the teams trying to reach him:

Even for rescuers, it is not easy, they need to clear snow to make a path. I hope my husband's team reaches the rescue team safely.

Many hikers followed footprints left by earlier groups to connect with rescuers. In conditions where blowing snow hid the route, those tracks offered a practical way to move toward help. The effort still required careful steps through drifts and over ice.

Ground teams carried the rescue

Fresh snowfall blocked narrow routes and limited access for machines. Rescuers used shovels and physical effort to push through drifts, then escorted evacuees to rest points for hot drinks and basic medical checks. From there, groups continued toward Qudang and nearby settlements in Dingri county.

Helicopter operations were limited by the severe weather. At very high altitude, thin air reduces the lift a helicopter can produce. Rapidly changing mountain winds and visibility falling toward zero in blowing snow made flights more difficult still. Ground teams became the main means of evacuation, advancing as new paths were cleared.

Teams carried food, blankets, oxygen and basic medicines. People suffering from exposure were warmed, given fluids and monitored for altitude sickness. Gear checks focused on wet clothing and broken tent poles, both of which could leave hikers without reliable protection from the cold.

Evacuees spent nights in simple rooms supplied with generator power while crews cleared access roads. Where roads were usable, officials moved groups by bus from local staging points. Authorities said safe travel out of the region would be organized for people who had completed their health checks.

The operation combined local knowledge with organized emergency work. Villagers knew the routes and shelters, guides understood the terrain, and animals helped open paths and carry supplies. Every cleared section made it possible for another group to leave the valley.

Why the weather changed so quickly

Meteorologists tracking the storm pointed to a low pressure system that kept the late monsoon active over the Himalayas. Moisture from the Bay of Bengal moved north into colder air above the high valleys, where it fell as heavy snow.

Rain at lower elevations and snow higher up are common during seasonal transitions. The unusual features of this event were the amount of precipitation and its timing in early October, when hikers often expect a more settled weather window.

Groups that checked forecasts early in the week saw favorable conditions. By the time heavy snow began on Friday evening, many camps were already established high in the mountains. A forecast useful at the start of a trip became less useful as the weather changed, while retreat grew harder once snow covered the camps and paths.

Scientists monitoring the Tibetan Plateau have documented warmer winters and changes in monsoon timing. As the average snow line rises over time, snowfall can arrive in more erratic bursts, sometimes later than expected. Those changing background conditions can increase weather volatility and make historical seasonal patterns a less reliable guide for planning an entire week outdoors.

The immediate rescue problem was concrete: moisture arrived over cold, high terrain, heavy snow accumulated rapidly, and large numbers of people were already on the route. Lightning, sleet and wind increased exposure while deep drifts restricted movement.

Cold and altitude created overlapping dangers

Hypothermia and altitude illness became central concerns during the storm. Hypothermia occurs when body temperature falls, often after clothing becomes soaked and wind carries heat away from the skin. Early signs include shivering, slurred speech and reduced coordination.

High elevations added to the danger. The air is cold and dry, and the body is already working harder to supply itself with oxygen. People staying still for long periods, or struggling to maintain shelter under accumulating snow, could lose heat while becoming too tired to move efficiently.

Acute mountain sickness can affect trekkers above 2,500 meters, with the risk increasing as they climb. Headache, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping are common symptoms. The safest response is to stop ascending; if symptoms worsen, descending even a few hundred meters helps.

Some hikers described fatigue, cold stress and altitude symptoms occurring together as they pushed through deep snow. Rest stops and warm fluids helped reduce risks while people waited for escort teams. Rescuers also monitored evacuees for altitude sickness as they received care.

An experienced mountaineer advising trekkers that week urged groups to tell local authorities where they were, stay away from slopes that could release avalanches and carry a satellite phone or tracker in case mobile coverage failed. Reliable communications would help rescuers locate a group even when ordinary phone signals dropped.

Groups also stressed the value of extra insulating layers, dry socks stored in waterproof bags and sturdy shovels for clearing tent platforms. Monitoring changing forecasts and identifying safe areas away from avalanche terrain were other practical precautions raised during the emergency.

Rising visitor numbers complicate rescue planning

The Mount Everest Scenic Area received a record 540,200 visitors in 2024, according to official figures. The Tibetan side has seen steady investment in visitor facilities, including an observation deck, a monastery site and access points across valleys and peaks.

Most visitors come for the scenery and the experience of thin air rather than to climb the summit. Nearly 1,000 people reached Everest's summit in 2024, with the vast majority climbing from the Nepal side. On the Tibetan side, road access to the north face attracts large tour groups during busy periods.

Karma Valley offers a different journey, requiring hikers to move through remote terrain on foot. Golden Week concentrated demand there, increasing the number of small groups that coordinators needed to track and contact once the blizzard arrived.

Rescue planning depends on more than the number of people on a trail. The mix of first time trekkers, experienced hikers and professional guides matters, as do communications coverage, trail width and the ability to reach staging points by road. During this storm, thunder, sleet and lightning increased exposure while deep snow reduced the speed of evacuation.

Outdoor enthusiasts debated safety arrangements on social media, including whether stranded hikers should pay some rescue costs. Local agencies concentrated on clearing paths, getting people into shelter and planning an orderly journey home for evacuees.

Storm damage extended beyond Everest

Nepal faced days of heavy rain that triggered landslides and flash floods, killing at least 47 people. Bridges were washed away and vital road links were cut. Villages in eastern districts faced evacuations while emergency crews worked to reopen highways.

The damage spread rescue demands across both sides of the Himalayan border. Communities needed help with flooded or blocked roads while trekking and climbing groups dealt with snow at higher elevations. The wide reach of the weather made rescue planning more complicated.

Teams on nearby peaks, including Cho Oyu, encountered fresh snow measuring more than a meter on slopes where wind had piled it up. Many expeditions paused movement while assessing whether the snow was stable.

Farther north and west in China, storms stranded hikers in the Qilian Mountains. Official reports said one person died from hypothermia and altitude sickness before rescuers reached the group. Police and rescue teams evacuated more than 200 others.

Popular hiking and camping areas in the Qilian Mountains were temporarily closed. Trailheads in other scenic districts also shut while the weather passed and crews cleared roads. The closures reflected a broader need to keep visitors away from routes that emergency teams were still trying to make safe.

Clearing routes and arranging the journey home

By October 10, many evacuees were sheltered and undergoing health checks, allowing local officials to turn toward reopening plans. Crews continued working along the Karma Valley approach to reduce snow hazards and repair trail damage.

Forecasts called for drier conditions and clearer skies in the following days. Authorities kept the scenic area closed while checking slope stability and preparing to escort remaining teams out. No reopening date was given.

Transport companies organized buses to move trekkers from Qudang and nearby towns to larger transport hubs once roads reopened. For evacuees, completing medical checks and reaching a cleared road were the next steps toward leaving the region safely.

The storm also brought attention to preparations for future holiday crowds. Guides and local agencies were expected to press for stronger early warning arrangements, better management of visitor numbers during major holidays and consistent requirements for communications equipment.

Local knowledge remained central to that discussion. Villagers broke trails with yaks, guides identified shelters along the route, and rescue teams carried supplies through terrain that vehicles could not readily reach. Those actions helped turn a network of stranded camps into an evacuation route.

Rising tourism and shifting seasonal weather patterns leave the region with a practical task: maintaining access while preparing for conditions that can quickly overwhelm a walking trail. This rescue showed how much that preparation depends on locating groups, keeping them sheltered and opening a usable path to lower ground.

The Bottom Line

• A blizzard beginning Friday evening trapped hundreds of hikers on Everest's Tibetan slopes during Golden Week.
• About 350 people reached Qudang by Sunday. Evacuations continued into Tuesday.
• By the middle of the week, officials cited about 580 hikers and more than 300 guides and yak herders brought out of Karma Valley.
• Officials reported at least one death and warned of hypothermia amid deep snow, wet clothing and thin air.
• Villagers and rescue teams cleared ground routes while severe weather limited helicopter operations.
• The Mount Everest Scenic Area remained closed, with ticket sales paused and no reopening date given.
• Meteorologists linked the storm to a low pressure system that prolonged monsoon moisture over the Himalayas.
• The scenic area recorded 540,200 visitors in 2024, adding to the demands of managing holiday travel.
• Floods and landslides killed at least 47 people in Nepal. A storm in the Qilian Mountains killed one hiker, and more than 200 others were evacuated.