On the 21st, reporters learned at the press conference for China's first all-female civilian Everest expedition that Ma Liyamu (outdoor name: Mai Zi), a Hui girl from Xinjiang, and her teammates will head to Tibet later this month to challenge Mount Everest, which stands at an altitude of 8,844.43 meters. If they succeed in reaching the summit, she will become the first woman from Xinjiang to summit Everest.
According to reports, this climbing team, entirely composed of amateur mountaineers and led by Mai Zi, has Liu Yong — the only Chinese judge of the prestigious "Piolet d'Or" award and a versatile climber — serving as the technical director. The climbers come from provinces and regions including Xinjiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Hong Kong. As planned, nearly 20 people, including female climbers from the Chinese public, logistics personnel, and professional guides, will set up camp at the base camp on the southern side of Everest (Nepal side). At that time, China's first all-female civilian Everest expedition team will be formed. The team members will spend about a month building camps and conducting high-altitude acclimatization training. It is expected that, under safe conditions, they will attempt to summit from the southern slope of Mount Everest around May 20.
Mai Zi, whose real name is Ma Liyamu, began participating in outdoor expeditions in 1996. She was once the assistant to Yang Chunfeng, the founder of the early high-altitude adventure company Yang Chunfeng Alpine Adventure. Since 2003, she has been engaged in planning and logistical support for field and high-altitude expeditions. In 2005, she was part of the team that achieved the first successful winter crossing of the Bogda Base Camp by women; in 2007, she summited Tianqi'er Peak (also known as Glacier No. 1), which stands at 4,562 meters; and in 2008, she successfully reached the summit of Muztagh Ata, which rises 7,546 meters above the Pamir Plateau.
"Summiting Everest has always been my main goal. Organizing an all-female civilian Everest expedition was also the late renowned mountaineer Yang Chunfeng’s lifelong dream. Our effort is a way to honor his legacy and fulfill his wish," said Mai Zi.
Mountaineering is an extremely dangerous sport and also a very costly one. Xinjiang Diyi Jiao Gucheng Liquor Co., Ltd., the sponsor of Mai Zi's Everest climb, stated that this Everest expedition is a combined professional and amateur team organized by civilians, indicating that China's mountaineering movement has reached a certain level of public participation and commercialization. This will contribute to the healthy development of high-altitude adventure sports, and we will continue to support the development of sports in China as we have always done.
Mount Everest is the main peak of the Himalayas and the highest peak on Earth. It has a massive pyramidal shape, standing majestically and towering above the world, with extremely rugged terrain and highly complex environmental conditions. Located on the eastern section of the China-Nepal border, the north slope ranges in elevation from 5,800 to 6,200 meters and lies within Dingri County in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, while the south slope ranges from 5,500 to 6,100 meters and is situated in Nepal. Between the northeast ridge, southeast ridge, and west ridge lie three steep faces (the north face, east face, and southwest face). Among these ridges and cliffs are 548 continental glaciers, covering a total area of 1,457.07 square kilometers, with an average thickness of 120 meters. The upper limit averages around 7,260 meters in elevation.
The climate in the Everest region and nearby peaks is complex and changeable. Generally speaking, the rainy season lasts from early June to mid-September each year, when strong southeast monsoons bring frequent heavy rains, thick clouds, and unpredictable snowstorms. From mid-November to mid-February of the following year, temperatures can drop to -60°C, with average temperatures between -40°C and -50°C, and maximum wind speeds reaching up to 90 meters per second. The transitional period between the wind season and the rainy season, from early March to late May and from early September to late October, may see better weather and is considered the best season for mountaineering.