Burning Man festivalgoers on the mood from the mud

Torrential rains had trapped thousands at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, where Burning Man is held

There are still 64,000 people waiting to leave the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert after heavy rain turned the ground into a swamp.

Although some people have been able to leave the site as conditions improve, others have found it impossible to drive away - with stranded vehicles spinning their wheels in the mud.

The event's finale - the burning of the man - was postponed until Monday.

Some celebrities documented their difficult treks out of the festival over the weekend.

DJ Diplo shared on Instagram that he and comedian Chris Rock walked "six miles through the mud" before a fan offered them "a ride out of Burning Man in the back of a pick up".

Some revellers need to get out while others are going with the flow and some have even managed to escape the flooded desert. Here's what some of them had to say.

'It is about survival'

Martyna Sowa, a dancer, was supposed to perform at the festival, but that didn't happen.

"That was the reason I came here," she told the BBC. "But that's OK."

Ms Sowa said the "very muddy" and "very slippery" conditions mean "it takes a very long time to go anywhere, including the toilet".

Chelsea Gold says the Burning Man festival is usually an escape for her and husband - but not this year

"We've been told it is more about survival at this point, as some people were not as well prepared," she added.

A number of revellers only came to the festival for the weekend and did not pack enough food and water.

"Some people have been really struggling," Ms Sowa said. But luckily, more seasoned festivalgoers or those who stayed for longer brought plenty of spare provisions.

"It is usually not a great environment anyway, so we usually prepare extra in case of emergencies," she said. "It is great to see all the people helping each other and being in good spirits as well."

'The alkaline mud can burn your skin'

Actor and content creator Justin Schuman, who has been at the festival for 11 days, said that the situation at the Black Rock Desert brought out the best in people.

"What I have seen personally is resilience," he told CBS News, the BBC's US partner. "I've seen a huge amount of people coming together, I have seen strangers hugging strangers, I have seen people gifting things to others."

Mr Schuman and his friends have enough supplies to last them several days and have been sharing what they can with those in need.

But it is still not the nicest place to be.

He described the mud as "really, really wet and really, really slick", and warned: "It is also very alkaline, so you do have to be careful for no prolonged exposure of your skin to the mud, because apparently it can start to really gently burn your skin."

This is something called "Playa Foot" - or a chemical burn - according to Burning Man festival organisers. Revellers are advised to keep their feet covered and wash them regularly.

A Burning Man 'to remember'

"I'm a virgin burner," 32-year-old Mr Schuman told the BBC. "So this was my first [Burning Man] and it was definitely one to remember."

He and his friends were remarkably well prepared, especially considering they did not know their camp would flood and be surrounded by mud.

He said the idea of gifting and civic responsibility, two Burning Man principles, were really amplified by the tough conditions.

His group housed someone who lost their shelter and they gave away food to people who lost items from the flood.

"I made like nine batches of bacon," he said.

Right after seeing the burning of the man, his trio of friends hopped in their two vehicles, along with another group of festival goers, and attempted to drive out.

They were in a line of cars at 22:11 local time (05:11 BST), and they did not "hit pavement" until six hours later. Even then they had to drive two more hours to get to their hotel in Reno, Nevada.

To stay awake, they ate "copious amounts of Pop Tarts".

"There was no levity or revelry" during the wait to get out.

"I will say that the overall like energy felt a little bedraggled and tired," said Mr Schuman. "It was a tired team, we had just played an intense sport it felt like - everybody was just trying to get back to the locker rooms for a good shower. We were rattled and ready to get out."

'We just got walking'

Ashley Smith, from London, said he and five friends had to leave the festival in order to get back to work. However, he said that the police were stopping people from leaving.

Ashley Smith says he and his friends walked 16 miles from the muddy desert site to the nearest town

"But it is an open desert," he told the BBC. "So we just packed up all our things, put on some boots - some of us put on plastic bags around our boots - and just got walking.

He said it was "about six miles to the nearest road, and from there it was another 10 miles to the nearest town".

Chelsea Gold and her husband told the BBC they had decided to stay but said: "It's a bummer, we're sad. It is our second 'burn' and we're bummed."

"For me and my husband, this is an escape from the hard things, and this is kind of hard," she said.

As to when they are going to be able to get out of there, she doesn't know.

"Everyone keeps saying, 'Your guess is as good as mine'," she said.