A huge blizzard swept the slopes of Mount Everest over the weekend, trapping hundreds of climbers and forcing rescue workers to conduct high-altitude evacuations.

The timing of the blizzard was especially unfortunate because the fabled mountain was heavy with tourists during China’s National Day holiday.

The unexpected blizzard bathed the Himalayas with snow and rain on Friday and continued throughout the weekend. Conditions were especially harsh on the eastern face of Mount Everest, which lies in Chinese-occupied Tibet.

China’s six-day National Day holiday, which commemorates the founding of the communist People’s Republic of China by dictator Mao Zedong, began on Wednesday. The National Day holiday is always a big season for travel and tourism in China. According to Chinese state medi

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