First Hong Kong mountaineer successfully summits Everest from both sides

After ascending via the north slope this time and conquering the "roof of the world," Mount Everest, he displayed the SAR flag

Following his 2009 climb from Nepal (south slope), becoming the third Hong Kong person to summit Everest, local mountaineer Tsang Chi-shing last month spent 49 days successfully tackling the world’s highest peak from Tibet’s north slope, known as the "death route," setting a new record for Hong Kong climbers and becoming the first Hong Kong mountaineer to summit Everest from both the south and north sides.

  During yesterday’s celebration event, footage of Tsang’s final ascent was shown. Unlike commercial climbing teams that come equipped with extensive supplies and rescue crews, Tsang was accompanied only by a Nepalese Sherpa as they advanced step-by-step toward Everest’s camps: "Very strong winds and snow, almost at ABC (Advanced Base Camp), estimated two more hours." The team eventually climbed up an almost vertical slope and successfully raised the Chinese national flag and the Hong Kong SAR flag at the summit, demonstrating the indomitable and never-say-die spirit of Hong Kong people.

  The world’s highest peak, Everest, stands over 8,848 meters above sea level. Its north slope lies in Tibet, while the south slope is in Nepal. Between 1921 and 1938, British explorers made eight attempts to climb Everest from the north slope but all failed, with some even losing their lives, hence the name "death route." Tsang noted that the ratio of climbers taking the south slope to those taking the north slope is about 5:1 each year. "On the way up, there were many corpses by the path. One wrong move, and I could have become one of them."

  He also said: "The main difficulty of ascending from the north slope lies in climbing beyond 6,500 meters. The south slope is mostly snowy, but 90% of the north slope’s sections are rocky. As you approach the North Col, the ground starts to feature crevasses, and you also have to cross nearly vertical slopes of several hundred meters with gradients of around 70 degrees. In addition, the climate on the north slope is harsher than on the south, with winds reaching force 6 to 7 even on relatively good weather days."

  Since 1991, Tsang Chi-shing has successfully summited 28 of the world’s high peaks. Among the world’s 14 mountains over 8,000 meters in height, he has conquered three. "The highest mountain isn’t necessarily the hardest to climb, so my next goal is to summit the remaining 11 peaks before 2020, including Annapurna, which has an 82% fatality rate, and K2, the world’s hardest and most lethal peak with a 27% death rate."