At around 18:00 yesterday, members of the China University of Geosciences mountaineering team—Dong Fan, Deqing Ouzhu, and Tsering Dandar—safely returned to base camp; Chen Chen stayed an extra day to rest at the 6,500m advance camp. How is reaching the summit achieved? Listen as they recount their experience.
The four shared two sleeping bags
And huddled together for warmth
On the 17th, the four-member summit team—Dong Fan, Chen Chen, Deqing Ouzhu, and Tsering Dandar—set out from the North Col camp at 7,028m altitude, beginning their push for the summit.
At the 6,500m advance camp, team members typically share one tent for three people. Starting from the North Col camp, the summit team of four slept in one tent every night. However, before reaching the assault camp at 8,300m, they could still use one sleeping bag each. At the assault camp, they had to share just two sleeping bags among the four.
“On the day of the summit push, we left the assault camp very early and didn’t get much sleep, so we only brought up two sleeping bags from Camp 7,790,” said Tsering Dandar. “We laid the two sleeping bags open on top of us, with only a thin pad underneath, and beneath that was ice—it was very cold. We had to huddle closely together to keep warm.”
Pulling Together to Overcome Challenges
Working as a Team to Boil Water
Above 6,500m altitude, the four traveled together not only sharing a tent but also dividing tasks. For example, when boiling water, Deqing would go out to gather snow while Dandar used the gas stove to heat the water, and the others handled filling the bottles.
Dandar shared such an experience: around 7,500m altitude, another climber stopped to rest and blocked the path. The right side of the trail dropped into a bottomless cliff, so to pass him, they had to go around him. “It was dangerous, but thanks to everyone working together, we got through safely.”
During the summit push, oxygen tanks had to be carried, and the oxygen flow needed frequent adjustment. Doing this alone was difficult, so teammates had to take off their gloves to help adjust the oxygen regulator. This exposed them to the risk of frostbite.
The Most Dangerous Above 8,300m
Encountering the Remains of Fellow Climbers Along the Way
Where is the most dangerous part of climbing Mount Everest? Dong Fan said, “Of course, it’s above 8,300m.”
The main safety measure for climbers during the ascent is a rope about as thick as a finger. “The terrain is extremely steep. Although there is protection, a fall can send you tumbling more than two meters. It’s very dangerous,” said Dong Fan. “In addition, the winds on the mountain are fierce—they can tear tents apart, shredding the fabric into strips. Even tent poles as thick as a cup’s mouth can be bent into arcs.”
Dong Fan explained that along this stretch, there were many remains of climbers who had perished over the years, “which was a huge psychological shock.”
Hit by Small Rocks Along the Way
Luckily Protected by a Down Jacket Hood
Dong Fan said that the path to the summit isn’t even comparable to a narrow trail—sometimes even crampons couldn’t find solid footing. Everyone climbed one after another, and dangers often arose. Falling rocks were a common hazard.
“Someone ahead dislodged a rock, which hit me right on the head—I didn’t even have time to dodge. Fortunately, I had my down jacket hood on, so I wasn’t injured,” Dong Fan said. “After that, I shouted up to warn others: if you dislodge a rock, call out.”
Facing a “False Start” at Departure
Overtaking Several Foreign Teams Along the Way
The China University of Geosciences mountaineering team had originally planned to start earlier to avoid possible congestion below the “Second Step,” but that didn’t happen.
“Later, all teams agreed on a start sequence. We were originally third or fourth in line. But someone ‘false started,’ sneaking off early. In the end, we ended up starting second to last among all the teams,” Dong Fan said. “But our pace was fast—we overtook several foreign teams along the way, and overall, we started relatively early and moved quickly.”
Spent Over Ten Minutes at the Summit
Not Very Excited Due to High Physical Exhaustion
Dong Fan explained that the Russian team had better technical skills and started earlier. After they summited and descended, the China University of Geosciences team reached the summit.
“I went first, Teacher Dong second, Chen Chen third, and Dandar fourth. That was the order we ascended in,” said Deqing. “When we arrived, there was only one or two other teams at the top—not many people. Descending was smooth too.”
Because of high physical exertion at the summit, the four team members weren’t particularly excited. “We took photos, connected with the school. Out of safety concerns, we began descending after just over ten minutes,” said Dong Fan.
The weather suddenly turned bad on the way down the mountain
It felt like the path would never end
On the descent, the weather on Mount Everest changed abruptly. Strong winds blew, and moderate snow began to fall.
Danta explained that the sudden snowstorm drastically reduced visibility—beyond 20 meters, you couldn’t even see your companions. “Luckily there were fixed ropes; we just had to follow them,” he said.
Around Camp 7790, the snow wasn’t too deep, only reaching the ankles. But at 7028, due to the prolonged snowfall, it had piled up above the ankles.
Moreover, the route from Camp 7790 to North Col (at 7028 meters) was quite long, posing a major challenge for the summit team. “It didn’t feel that way going up, but coming down, we realized just how long this stretch really is—it seemed endless,” both Deqing and Danta said in unison.
That night back at Advance Base Camp, Dong Fan didn’t sleep well at all, “my thighs were extremely sore.” And after hours of walking, several team members had worn through their boot soles and bruised their toes.
Ten team members were stationed along the route for support
Ready to launch an upward rescue at any sign of trouble
Reaching the summit isn’t the end of the story—successfully descending is what makes the mission complete. Li Zhixin, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Mountaineering Association, who had specially come to Everest Base Camp to oversee operations, did not leave even after Dong Fan and others reached the summit. He only departed with peace of mind once the team had safely returned to the assault camp.
At Camp 7790, two high-altitude guides, Dawang Sangdan and Suoduo, were also waiting. At North Col, team member Wang Bing was joined by two high-altitude guides, Cedain Jiumei and Luobu Ciren. Meanwhile, at the 6700-meter-high snow slope, guide Dunzhu and team members Yuan Fudong, Zhang Yu, and Zhang Jiarong stood by at all times.
To ensure the safe descent of the summit team to Advance Base Camp, the CUGB Mountaineering Team deployed a total of ten highly capable members.