According to news from Beijing time on June 30, the Tsinghua University Mountaineering Team held a press conference and departure ceremony in the Old School of Economics and Management Auditorium at Tsinghua University, announcing that the team will officially set off tomorrow to embark on an expedition to Tuojifeng, which stands at an altitude of 5,827 meters on the north side of Lake Hala in Tianjun County, Haixi Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. The professional outdoor sports watch EZON, as the designated climbing watch for this activity, participated in the departure ceremony to cheer on the climbers and provide them with accurate, reliable, and professional real-time data.
At the departure ceremony, Qin Hongwei, the climbing team captain, gave a brief introduction to the climb of Tuojifeng, including information about the mountain and the climbing plan. Captain Li Mengfan briefly introduced the team, mentioning that the choice of this mountain was based on factors such as the team’s strength, overall mountain height, climbing difficulty, and access difficulty. He also noted that they have been preparing for a full year and are now fully ready. Hu Kai, a representative from the university, also spoke, expressing the school’s attention and support for the activity. Later, the head of the Tsinghua University Youth League Committee presented the team flag to the members. The press conference concluded solemnly with a chorus of the mountaineering anthem “White Dove.”
Tomorrow noon, the mountaineering team will set off on their journey to climb, embarking on a different life and pursuing different ideals, to get close to the beautiful and sacred snow mountain — Tuojifeng.
Appendix: Tuojifeng, locally known as Gangze Wujie Peak, has an altitude of 5,827 meters and is located on the north side of Lake Hala in Tianjun County, Haixi Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. It is the highest peak of the Qilian Mountain Range and also the main peak of the Shule South Mountain. The mountain is situated in the southeastern section of the Shule South Mountain, at 38°30′ north latitude and 97°43′ east longitude, and is the highest point of the watershed between the upper valley of the Shule River and the Lake Hala basin. The surface is widely covered with ice and snow, with a snow line as high as over 4,400 meters and a significant area of modern glaciers.
Tuojifeng consists of multiple snow mountains with altitudes above 5,400 meters, forming a glacial structural massif. In recent years, glacier retreat has accelerated, and there is severe cracking and collapse of the mountain body. The area within a hundred kilometers of Tuojifeng is uninhabited, and transportation is extremely difficult. The terrain includes crevasses, snow slopes, and arêtes, some of which may be quite long. Entering the mountain from Xining takes about 3–4 days, requiring a 4x4 vehicle and an experienced driver. The elevation difference is not large, and the difficulty is moderate. Even though the arêtes are quite challenging, using a siege-style approach should make them manageable. The weather is suitable for climbing in July and August.