Satellite image of Mount Wutai
Mount Wutai, located in the northeastern part of Shanxi Province, consists of five major peaks: East, West, South, North, and Middle. The highest peak—the North Terrace—stands at 3,061 meters above sea level and is known as the "Roof of North China." The annual average temperature is below 0°C. On this trip, all team members carried heavy loads, with tents, sleeping bags, food, water, and other supplies packed into individual backpacks. Regardless of gender, after packing up neatly, the average weight of each of the twenty large backpacks exceeded 15 kilograms. Small bodies, big packs—already from the organized packing, we could see the team's rigor and attention to detail. The difficulty and potential dangers of the traverse route went without saying.
Luggage assembled
On April 27, after an all-night journey, the team arrived at the foot of the East Terrace before 6 a.m. At an altitude of over 2,400 meters, a sudden chill welcomed their arrival. However, it was reported that the first day’s mission was heavy and tough—they needed to summit four terraces: Northeast, Central, and West, in sequence. The team leader, Chen, said, "This expedition serves as a training session before our real mountain climbing. It’s not extremely difficult but very intense. We hope every teammate can persevere to the end. High-intensity training is the foundation of everything. We don’t want any team member to fall behind in areas that can still be controlled."
Although the first day’s journey was grueling and exhausting, the team members overcame both physical and mental pressure and summited the East and North Terraces in sequence. On the way from the North to the South Terrace, one member accidentally got injured due to fatigue and carelessness. Upholding the principle of "no one left behind," some members escorted the injured teammate down while others pressed on toward the Middle Terrace. The smile of the injured member—who kept encouraging everyone despite his own injury—strengthened the resolve of every member to keep going, all hoping to fulfill his dream of completing the Five Terraces traverse. The team regrouped at the Middle Terrace, hastily had dinner at a temple, and by nightfall, the cold had intensified. Considering the next day’s plan, the team leader decided on a nighttime assault on the West Terrace. Though utterly exhausted, everyone resolutely followed the leader’s command. The team formed a line, using headlamps to light the path ahead. That night demonstrated the unyielding spirit and remarkable courage of the Lingfeng members. After one or two hours under the cold night sky, with the help of the temple master at the West Terrace who shone a flashlight for us without fear of the bitter cold, we finally reached the West Terrace and stayed overnight at the temple.
Night Assault on the West Terrace
Prayer at the West Terrace
From the South Terrace to the West Terrace
Summit of the South Terrace
"Lingfeng, go for it; Mountain Team, go for it!" Their resounding declarations echoed through the skies, as if all worldly ties no longer concerned them. They belonged only to themselves, to their dreams, and to this highly cohesive team.
Lingfeng—climbing the heights of life.
Destination: Baiyun Temple