A letter to you, though we’ve never met.
I first heard of you in the densely worded pages of my history textbook. During the Three Kingdoms period, when China was divided, the Wei general Deng Ai and his son were ordered to conquer Shu. They marched southward via the Ancient Road of Yinping. In the early Ming Dynasty, Fu Youde led troops to secretly cross the treacherous Mt. Motianling on the Yinping route to crush the Xia regime. In April 1935, the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army ambushed Hu Zongnan’s forces here, securing victory at the Maogong Meeting. And when Qingchuan was liberated, the People’s Liberation Army also advanced along the Ancient Road of Yinping...
I am a history teacher. Every time I lecture my students on "just how perilous the Ancient Road of Yinping was, and how Deng Ai managed to secretly cross it to bring down Shu," the simplistic descriptions in textbooks fall short. When students ask deeper questions, I often find myself at a loss for words. After poring over extensive historical materials, I discovered that you are, on one hand, fraught with danger: sheer cliffs that defy imagination, the roaring Min River, and Mt. Motianling known as the "Gateway to Hell." Yet on the other hand, you carry an air of serenity—the millennia-old flagstones that have witnessed the clash of swords and armor, the thunder of battle drums, and quietly narrate the vicissitudes of history. My curiosity has only grown over time. I deeply wish to personally witness your historical evolution so I can present your true face and stories more vividly to my students.
So I joined the "Endless Experience – The Gore-Tex Outdoor Dreams Realization Campaign." I researched, formed a team, revised our plans repeatedly, and finally won the monthly championship for the outdoor hiking category in April. The dream is now within reach—if we can secure the annual championship, we will truly meet you. I plan to compile the results of our expedition into an academic report, sharing our findings with educators and students across the country, so more people can learn about the you behind the veil of history.
Looking forward to meeting you soon.
Alongside the monthly champion of the main event hub, there are also seven monthly champions from the sub-hubs. This month, a total of 49 monthly champions have been crowned. The main hub’s monthly champion will receive a Gore-Tex jacket or shoes sponsored by KOLON SPORT, OZARK GEAR, TOREAD, BLACK YAK, and NORTHLAND. The seven sub-hub monthly champions will receive prizes from Lafuma and HAGL.