Feng Jing: The Chinese girl who expedition to "extremely hard to reach" (Concentric Circles in Winter Olympics)
"The Pole of Inaccessibility" is aptly named-this is the farthest location from the coastline of the Antarctic continent at an altitude of more than 3,700 meters.
Since 1958, the Soviet expeditionary team arrived and calibrated its position. For more than 60 years, no one has relied on two feet to reach this extremely cold place.
On January 25th, 2020, it was the first visitor to visit here on foot.
The 38-year-old Chinese explorer Feng Jing completed a feat that seemed "unconquerable" in 80 days and traversed more than 1,800 kilometers.
To reach the extreme with her, there are Bingdundun and Xuerongrong, the mascots of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
"Human beings will surpass themselves, break through their limits, and reach one after another insurmountable extremes. There will be no end to their efforts." Conducted an exclusive interview with it.
Start from scratch
In 2014, Feng Jing's global travel was nearing the end.
Located in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, the small Argentine city, she originally planned to take a cruise ship with huge fares, like many tourists, to check in the last stop of the journey-Antarctica.
Looking back on the past, Feng Jing couldn't tell how the idea of expedition to Antarctica was difficult to resist.
"The most important of several causes is the name there-extremely inaccessible." She wrote, "The name is both daunting and seductive. I can't resist the urge to get closer."
What is still fresh in my memory is the complicated mood when the goal is anchored.
"The feeling at that moment seemed to be possessed. In the continuous switch between excitement and self-doubt, I was emotional, tossed and turned, and laughed uncontrollably from time to time. In a flash, I was disturbed by anxiety and panic," Feng Jing said.
Afterwards, Feng Jing sent out consultation emails to a series of polar guides.
In the email, she confessed her desire to reach the extreme on foot and the status quo that she has not yet mastered any relevant skills.
"The vast majority of people rejected me." Feng Jing said, learning afterwards that these guides often receive emails from "xiaobai" like her, and only 10% of them have the opportunity to meet offline and prepare , And 10% of the lucky ones can embark on the expedition journey.
There was only one person who did not directly answer Feng Jing’s question, but quickly sent a reply——
"Tell me what kind of person you are."
Arrive in Antarctica first
Feng Jing was just over 30 years old at that time.
She does not know the cross-country skiing skills necessary for hiking in Antarctica, and most of her understanding of hiking comes from the autobiography of an admired explorer.
In the eyes of family and friends, Feng Jing's plan is nothing short of a fantasy.
Whenever she encountered resistance, she would always bring out the book "Take the World to Antarctica" to support herself. From 2008 to 2009, the British female explorer Felicity Aston led 7 female members to overcome all kinds of problems. Difficulties reached the South Pole, creating a female legend of conquering the South Pole.
The email was sent by Paul Landry, a well-known international guide and Canadian.
Regarding Feng Jing's situation, the experienced Paul was outspoken.
"Expedition is difficult, starting from scratch is even more difficult. Maybe two years, maybe five years, maybe this thing doesn't belong to you, and it will never happen." Paul said, "how much time it takes depends on how much effort you are willing to put in."
Therefore, Feng Jing first carried out physical training in China for up to 8 months, and then, on Paul's suggestion, went to Norway to receive professional training and evaluation.
Despite being praised by Paul as the "first non-stop training" customer, Feng Jing, who started from scratch, still did not meet his strict standards.
"Don't think about it, go to the South Pole expedition." Paul said, "I think you can do it for another year of training."
"The South Pole is too lively and there is no aftertaste. The South Pole in my heart is not like that." Although Feng Jing was reluctant in her heart, she still accepted the step-by-step plan.
At the beginning of 2018, Feng Jing took 52 days and walked 1,130 kilometers to reach the South Pole.
Expedition
After returning from the South Pole, Feng Jing always feels uneasy whenever he thinks about the extreme.
"I have never regarded the South Pole and the Inaccessible Pole as two separate itineraries. The South Pole expedition is to achieve the ultimate goal." Feng Jing said, "If you stop here, it is equivalent to giving up halfway."
The inaccessible pole is different from the South Pole-commercial routes have been built to reach the South Pole, and there are also regular routes.
Hiking is extremely difficult, but it is a dangerous road that no one has ever set foot on.
Previously, only 8 men reached the point by kite skiing.
In the extreme of high altitude, the body temperature can be as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius. What's more, more than 70 kilograms of living supplies such as tents and food have to be dragged on the endless white wasteland during the hike.
After more than a year of preparation and training, in November 2019, Feng Jing embarked on an expedition that is difficult to reach.
Almost from the beginning of the journey, the symptoms of the virus infection entangled her.
Headache, fever, cough, vomiting... As the altitude continued to climb, her physical condition reached its limit.
During the journey, the pain of dislocation of the thumb and shoulder and neck strain also made the task more difficult.
"Pain is the easiest to endure among the countless difficulties in the expedition." Feng Jing said, "There is no desperate situation, only desperate people. Complaining is the most useless, and there is a chance to go out to fight."
The expedition was hard to come by, and Feng Jing brought a man and a woman with two guides.
She named the expedition team "Walk is coming." She agreed with the guide that she would do her best every day and could not stop as long as her feet were still moving.
"During the expedition, the guide said something to me: In this situation, how many men have given up long ago." Feng Jing said, "At that time, I was already uncomfortable and speechless, so I just nodded."
Battle of centimeters
During the expedition, Feng Jing encountered a strong wind of force 7 at an altitude of nearly 3,000 meters.
I was knocked down by violent gusts again and again, and stood up and looked at the horizon—the soft snow under my feet was like a swamp, and I could only move a few centimeters every time I walked in against the wind.
Feng Jing gave this challenge a name: "The Battle of Centimeters".
Many times at night, she listened to the call sign of the mountain breeze and stared at the hoarfrost on the top of the tent. She felt like crying, but she didn't have the strength to cry.
"You don't know how far I have traveled to get here, no matter how you drive away, I will never go back like this, never!" Feng Jing wrote.
Success is scattered every day, every step, every centimeter during the journey.
Feng Jing said that only every step connected is the only way to reach the goal.
On the last day of the expedition, the marching atmosphere was solemn.
Feng Jing has imagined countless times of approaching and embarking on an extremely difficult process, but when this moment came, her emotions did not fluctuate as expected.
On the morning of January 25, 2020, Feng Jing arrived at the extreme.
More than 60 years ago, the Soviets established a simple scientific research station here.
Now, years of snow and ice have already covered the house, leaving only the bust of Lenin on the roof standing in the cold wind.
There, Feng Jing unfurled the five-star red flag and took photos.
"Countless pictures flashed in my mind. Learning to ski and hiking in the South Pole in Norway seems to have just happened." Feng Jing wrote, "The last few steps are as usual as before. When I stopped, I had already traveled through thousands of rivers and mountains. ."
Confidential member
Feng Jing looked lightly at the title of the very first person on foot.
"In order to reach the extreme, I spent 5 years. During this period, anyone can get on the ground first." Feng Jing said, "It's just a natural thing to become the number one in the end, not the goal I originally pursued."
But for another "first", Feng Jing cherishes it very much.
There are two "confidential members" in the expedition team of "The Act is Coming"-Bingdundun and Xue Rongrong.
After reaching the extreme, the two "little guys" bathed in the Antarctic sunshine for the first time.
"I wrote POI on the red heart on the left hand of Bingdundun, and marked the extremely difficult coordinates on the snowy yellow scarf." Feng Jing said that during the expedition, the Winter Olympics and Winter Disabled The Olympic Games mascots had just been released for more than a month, and it took a lot of effort for her to buy them from the Internet.
The two mascots seriously squeezed Feng Jing's luggage space. In order to pack Bingdundun and Xuerong into the suitcase, Feng Jing brought extra luggage straps.
Unexpectedly, when the shoulder and neck were strained during the expedition, the strapping would also come in handy.
The day before the end of the expedition happened to be the 30th day of the Lunar New Year.
After setting up camp, Feng Jing hung the small lanterns in the tent and spent a very ritual Spring Festival.
Now, Feng Jing has become a special member of the Beijing Winter Olympics ski team, responsible for training on how to adapt to the extreme cold environment.
Go forward courageously
"When faced with difficulties, I won't feel very scared, and when faced with pressure, I won't feel very embarrassed." Feng Jing said, this is the biggest change that the extremely difficult trip has brought to her.
"This matter has broken through my understanding of difficulties to a large extent. There are many things in life that you don't need to care about, and those things that really care about can be achieved with a little bit of effort." She said .
In the book "Unconquerable", Feng Jing not only described people's "imaginary expedition", but also described the "B side" of the expedition.
"What happened during the expedition is far beyond what can be expected in training and can be read in many books." She said that the real Antarctic expedition was complicated and cruel.
In the book, Feng Jing left her own mailbox, hoping to share with readers the "extremely difficult" story in life.
There are often emails from strangers, telling her about the ups and downs in life, and many people say that they have drawn motivation from her.
"Not everyone has to go on expedition. Fighting against mundane and trivial matters is also a kind of practice. If more people are touched by my experience, once the goal is established, they will never retreat when encountering difficulties, even if they are knocked down by difficulties, no matter how many times. If you have to get up and fight again, it will affect the outlook of this era." Feng Jing said.
During the difficult expedition, Feng Jing often took out the "luxury" that she carried with her-"The Great Journey".
This documentary work created by Japanese explorer Yoshiharu Sekino tells of his great journey of retracing the road of human migration.
"Go forward bravely with dreams", these words in the book have always inspired Feng Jing.
"Arriving in Antarctica, an expedition is difficult to reach the extreme, just like crossing a narrow gate. There, you can see a bigger world." Feng Jing said.
Yang Linyu also contributed to this article
Photos in this article are provided by interviewees
Liu Yao