17-year-old reaches top of world's tallest mountain

Li Haorong, a 17-year-old student from Beijing, reached the summit of the world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma — globally known as Mount Everest — in the Xizang autonomous region at 6:47 am on Sunday, becoming the youngest Chinese male to reach the summit from the mountain's northern slope.

He is also the first Chinese senior middle school student globally to accomplish the feat.

Li is a member of the Youmei Youth Mountaineering Team, led by team leader Li Jinghui, CEO of Youmei Camp, who reached the summit at 8:08 am on Sunday.

"Indeed, the end point of mountaineering has never been the summit, but the base camp — it is home, and it's the families and friends waiting for you to return safely," Li Haorong said.

Since beginning his mountaineering journey in January 2023, the teen said the sport has taught him valuable lessons, the most important of which is "to have a heart of reverence".

After returning to base camp, Li Haorong kowtowed toward the mountain three times to express his gratitude to Qomolangma for allowing him to reach the summit safely and for teaching him so much, he said. The climb took place during the first spring mountaineering season since Dingri county — home to Qomolangma's base camp — was affected by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in January.

Li Haorong's achievement also coincides with the 60th anniversary of the first Chinese ascent of Qomolangma.

In 1965, the Chinese National Mountaineering Team made history by summiting the mountain from the treacherous north side without supplemental oxygen — a first in mountaineering history.

Founded in November 2022, the Youmei Youth Mountaineering Team is the first youth team in the world to scale Qomolangma. Since its inception, the team has carried out a carefully planned "Summit Plan".

The team has successfully climbed several peaks, including Mount Siguniang in Sichuan province, Haba Snow Mountain in Yunnan province, Yuzhu Peak in Qinghai province and Mount Kilimanjaro in the African country of Tanzania since last year.

Last year, they summited Muztagh Ata in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Cho Oyu in Xizang before achieving their goal of reaching the top of Qomolangma this spring.

Li Jinghui said the expedition took 46 days. After reaching base camp, the team conducted progressive high-altitude acclimatization training, climbing from 5,200 meters to 7,028 meters at Camp 1.

"This rigorous training included traversing real snow and ice environments, practicing crevasse crossing, ice climbing techniques and other high-altitude skills to prepare for the final ascent," he said.

Thanks to a favorable spring "weather window", the team began their summit push from base camp on Sunday. Intensive training and strong camaraderie helped them persevere, with members reaching the top between 6 am and 9 am.

Lobsang Dondrub, an experienced mountaineering guide and a member of the 2020 Qomolangma elevation measurement team, told China Daily that spring weather on the mountain remains unstable and risky.

Sudden temperature drops, snowfall and melting snow can make trails slippery and dangerous, and the risk of landslides and mudslides increases as snowmelt progresses, he said.

He noted that minors are generally not encouraged to summit the mountain due to their developing bodies and lower ability to endure high-altitude challenges. However, he praised the team's performance.

"They encountered the crevasses of the Rongbuk Glacier, the steep ice walls of the North Col and the oxygen-deprived 'death zone' above 8,000 meters. No difficult or dangerous obstacle could stop their progress," he said.

The team also faced a blizzard at 8,700 meters near the so-called First, Second and Third Steps. Visibility dropped sharply, and conditions became extremely hazardous. But the group relied on their strength and teamwork to safely push through and complete the ascent, he said.

Li Haorong, a student at Beijing No 80 High School in Chaoyang district, remains active beyond mountaineering. He is a key player on the school soccer team and enjoys basketball, skiing and surfing. He also founded a mountaineering club to share his passion with peers.

"In the classroom, Li Haorong excels academically. He has an active and open-minded way of thinking and often offers unique insights," said his homeroom teacher, Sun Tuo.

Contact the writers at palden_nyima@chinadaily.com.cn