Father, son reach highest peak for survey mission

Father and son duo, Chen Gang and Chen Lihao summited Mount Qomolangma on April 30, 2022, completing a pioneering survey mission.

Chen Gang, a professor engaged in crustal movement research at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), has scaled Qomolangma four times in the past decade, including on the 2020 China-Nepal joint survey that determined the peak's current height of 8,848.86 meters.

His son, Chen Lihao, born in 2001, grew up shadowing his father on surveying trips, sparking a passion for the field. Now a doctoral candidate in surveying, Chen Lihao has inherited his father's love for science, carrying forward the spirit of exploration and professional expertise in surveying and mapping.

At 11:35 am on April 30, 2022, the father and son team stood together atop the summit of Mount Qomolangma and used two sets of China's domestically developed Beidou global navigation and positioning system devices to conduct high-precision real-time dynamic measurements and data comparisons of the summit. Later, they performed snow and ice depth detection experiments.

During their climb, they collected a large number of ice and snow samples, as well as plant and rock specimens, providing research materials for many disciplines.

Over the years, the father and son have summited multiple high mountains together.

Since 2019, they'd trained rigorously for their Qomolangma ascent — honing physical endurance, mastering ice-climbing techniques and perfecting surveying protocols.

With other team members focused solely on climbing, Chen Gang had to teach his son how to operate equipment and conduct surveys at a training base simulating Qomolangma's environment. "Despite harsh conditions, he never complained," Chen Gang said.

Chen Gang told his son he would hand over the task to him if he failed — and Chen Lihao always responded with supportive actions, not just words. "He became my only partner," Chen Gang said.

However, the enthusiasm and folly of youth would lead to hardship on their journey.

Reflecting on their differing approaches during the historic climb, Chen Gang said, "Like all beginners, he was fearless, charging ahead but often ignoring risks — while I, like an experienced driver, prioritized caution and safety.

"I was prepared to turn back if needed — there will always be another chance to climb. But he was determined to succeed on the first try, fueled by his energy and resolve," Chen Gang added.

During the climb, Chen Lihao's youthful energy often outpaced the team.

"I worried about him constantly, so I tried to catch up and keep an eye on him," Chen Gang said.

Inevitably, Chen Lihao reached the summit first among all the team members, swiftly conducting measurements, with Chen Gang arriving later to jointly create the legend of a father-son team summiting Qomolangma.

However, the triumph nearly turned tragedy on the descent.

At 8,700 meters, Chen Gang tripped on a rope, leaving him dangling perilously over a cliff. "Luckily, my ice pick caught the rope — otherwise, I wouldn't be here," he said.

A guide, about 20 meters ahead of Chen Gang, hearing the whomp, froze in shock before Chen Gang shouted for help.

"The wait felt endless — every second was agony," he said. Traversing the icy slope in crampons made the guide's rescue painfully slow.

After rescuing Chen Gang, the guide reproached him for his rushed descent.

"I was hurrying to catch up with my son, who reached the summit and began his descent 40 minutes ahead of me," Chen Gang said.

Each climber is allowed a maximum of one hour at the summit to complete their tasks because of the dangerously low oxygen levels and extreme conditions, according to Chen Gang.

Chen Lihao descended right when his time was up. To gather as much data as possible, Chen Gang stayed behind to continue his measurements.

"With our radios out of battery and him descending too quickly for me to keep in sight, I grew increasingly nervous — the descent is much more dangerous than the ascent."

Chasing his son for five hours, bypassing two camps without stopping, Chen Gang finally found his son asleep at the third camp past midnight in complete darkness.

"I felt so reassured seeing him safely asleep," the father said, despite his hasty descent leaving him freezing and exhausted.

The next day, they reached the foot of the mountain together and set off for home.