● Thrilling: Every Step of the Climb Was Heart-Stopping
After successfully summiting nine 8,000-meter peaks, on March 25 of this year, Zhang Liang set out again to pursue the ultimate exploratory dream of "14+2" (the 14 peaks over 8,000 meters and both the North and South Poles), with his latest goal being Annapurna.
Among the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 meters, Annapurna is considered one of the most difficult. "Last year, after climbing Kangchenjunga, I thought it was tough, but now I can say with certainty that every mountain I’ve climbed before was easier than Annapurna," said Zhang Liang.
On March 31, Zhang Liang arrived at the Annapurna base camp at 4,200 meters. After a brief rest, he began a series of pre-summit tasks: route fixing, transport, camp construction, training, and high-altitude acclimatization. After half a month of patient waiting, the right moment for the climb finally came. Zhang Liang and his team set off from the base camp and officially launched their attempt on Annapurna. Along the way, massive avalanches occurred repeatedly, and the complex and treacherous nature of the route made progress extremely slow. For safety reasons, the team lingered between camps 1, 2, and 3.
"The most splendid views are seen from the most dangerous peaks." Due to harsh weather conditions and steep ice walls, Zhang Liang found himself in constant peril during the climb. The sun would appear only briefly in the morning, then suddenly give way to fierce winds and heavy snow by noon. Zhang Liang recalled: "The toughest part was ascending from Camp 2 to Camp 3 around the 6,000–7,000 meter range—almost entirely steep ice walls. One misstep could send you plummeting into the abyss. It took us four whole days, during which we advanced just 100 meters on one of them." The level of danger speaks for itself.
● Rational: Giving Up a Nearly Reached Summit
In the past, every time he returned, Zhang Liang appeared confident and proud—but this time, his words were filled with awe. "This has never happened before. I can say that every day on the mountain, the psychological pressure was immense. For the first time, I felt so close to ‘death’—I thought about it every day," Zhang Liang said.
At 9 p.m. on April 23, Zhang Liang’s team launched their final push toward the summit from Camp 3. With teamwork, they safely passed through Annapurna’s most dangerous ice and avalanche zones as well as the toughest sections. By the afternoon of April 24, they were just over 300 meters from the summit when the weather turned extremely harsh. A sudden blizzard hit, and with no other teams around for support, Zhang Liang convinced the entire group to make a careful decision—to abandon the summit attempt and descend.
Zhang Liang explained that the decision to retreat was based on safety concerns: attempting to reach the summit would have meant descending in darkness, which would have been impossible. Moreover, the climb had taken a huge toll—they had already been on the mountain for ten days, were running low on supplies, and everyone was utterly exhausted, making accidents highly likely with no hope of rescue. "During a summit push, people can actually become quite reckless because of oxygen deprivation and mental fog. Thinking about all the time, effort, and money invested, it’s easy to make impulsive decisions," Zhang Liang said. "Pushing forward is hard, but giving up is even harder." But in the end, he successfully persuaded the entire team to call off the summit. One Sherpa guide even gave him a thumbs-up for the decision.
● Crisis: Successfully Saving Three Lives
During the descent, disaster struck unexpectedly. Zhang Liang first noticed that three Sherpa guides descending together were carrying too much weight, causing the fixed rope and snow anchor to slip and triggering a fall. He immediately shouted to his teammates, who quickly sprang into action for a dramatic rescue.
In a split second, Zhang Liang and 65-year-old Norwegian team member Thor, who were waiting on flat ground to descend, rushed toward the slipping climbing rope and together managed to hold it steady. The experienced Sherpa team leader Mingma quickly inserted a backup snow anchor into the snow, firmly securing the rope and thereby saving all three lives. Zhang Liang and Thor both had two bloody gashes on their palms from the intense strain. Later, the rescued Sherpa guides expressed deep gratitude to them.
"At the most terrifying moment, I even thought about giving up mountain climbing forever. I even recorded a video on the mountain, speaking my mind: ‘I love the snow mountains, but I love life even more. Annapurna will be the last of the 8,000-meter peaks for me. Goodbye, Annapurna. Goodbye, snow mountains.’" But now, back in the warmth of Shenzhen, the still-dreamy Zhang Liang has calmed down. He is looking forward to setting off again. "In June or July, I plan to tackle Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II."