The moonlight dwellers at base camp. In the front is Niu Xiaohong, in the back is Wang Bing. Photo by special correspondent Zou Jin
Niu Xiaohong, deputy leader of the Di Da mountaineering team, has a thick beard. It is said that he once made a grand vow: to shave only after the team successfully reaches the summit.
The "bearded one" has been feeling a bit lonely lately. His teammate Wang Bing went up to the advance camp with the assault team a couple of days ago, while he, due to his responsibilities, stayed behind at the lower camp to guard it.
At the Di Da mountaineering team, Niu Xiaohong and Wang Bing are well-known "moonlight dwellers." As the name suggests, they often roam around under the moonlight. They share a common passion—photography.
Interestingly, both are photography "rookies," also known as "newbies." Before coming to Tibet, the "bearded one" invested in a set of what could be called professional photography equipment, spending tens of thousands of yuan. When he first arrived at Everest Base Camp, he was often seen holding an instruction manual, studying it intently.
In comparison, although Wang Bing's "gear" is slightly less advanced, his learning methods are more effective. He often posts his work on Weibo, humbly seeking advice from experts. His skills have naturally improved rapidly.
Wang Bing is especially fond of night photography. Under his influence, Old Niu quickly became "infected" and also joined the ranks of the "moonlight dwellers." But at an altitude of 5,200 meters at Everest Base Camp, this hobby could also be called "seeking suffering"—after dark, the temperature at the base camp often hovers below minus N degrees Celsius, and the biting cold wind is something you can imagine.
Apart from the freezing cold, the success rate of nighttime photography is also quite low. Moving figures and flickering headlamps can all lead to disastrous results. For a while, people often heard the two complaining inside their tents: just as success seemed within reach, someone would walk by and ruin the shot.
But as they say, failure is the mother of success. With growing experience, the two "moonlight dwellers" gradually figured out the tricks. Wang Bing’s night scene photos posted on Weibo began to be widely shared and received rave reviews.
And the "bearded one" has even entered the big leagues. One of his photos, titled "Star Trails at Everest Base Camp," was featured in our newspaper’s photo section, taking up a large amount of space. The editor who published it commented: "The technique may seem a bit raw, but it shows vision and flair."
In those days, Old Niu, who had already passed forty, seemed much younger, moving briskly and full of energy in and out of the activity tents. "I guess I’m a photographer now too," he said proudly. Soon, a new nickname spread like wildfire—"Mountain Celebrity Reporter."
Old Niu didn’t just shoot night scenes; his footsteps covered the area around the base camp. Glaciers, snow-capped mountains, lakes, and rocky slopes—he covered the widest range of “adaptive training” areas among the team members. Once, while trying to photograph a group of blue sheep, he almost got hit by falling rocks. Everyone was nervous for him, but he boasted proudly, "I got some great shots, look, not bad, right?"
Of course, as the deputy leader of the mountaineering team, his primary duties remained his top priority. As the leader of the camp-guarding team, he worked tirelessly and was one of the team members who stayed at Everest Base Camp the longest. HowToTrip Everest Base Camp, 15th. Special correspondent Zou Jin