China’s first woman to climb Mount Everest without oxygen: “Always prepared” for mountain climbing

　　China News Service, Xi'an, March 7th: China's first woman to climb Mount Everest without oxygen: "Always prepared" for mountain climbing

　　Author Yang Yingqi

　　"There is no road longer than feet, and no mountain higher than people." There are 14 8,000-meter peaks in the world, but for He Jing, a Shaanxi native, there is only one Shishapangma peak ahead of her.

　　From short-distance hiking to long-distance hiking, from low-altitude peaks to high-altitude peaks, He Jing has been "moving forward" to the snow-capped mountains for 12 years.

After successfully climbing four 8,000-meter peaks without oxygen, He Jing became the first Chinese woman to climb Mount Everest without oxygen on May 14, 2022.

But her diary that day was unusually calm, "I was just walking and when I looked up, I realized I had arrived."

In May 2022, He Jing climbed Mount Everest without oxygen.

(Photo provided by interviewee)

　　Anaerobic climbing means climbing without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Oxygen is scarce on peaks over 8,000 meters above sea level. Climbing to the top without oxygen is a great challenge to the body and mind.

　　In 2016, He Jing climbed the first 8,000-meter peak in her life - Cho Oyu, the sixth highest peak in the world.

When two bottles of oxygen were provided as standard at the time, He Jing, who only used one bottle of oxygen, discovered the possibility of being "oxygen-free".

After reaching the summit this time, He Jing did not immediately choose Mount Everest as the next stop. “I’m not sure if I’m ready.”

　　Even after accumulating four experiences of climbing peaks without oxygen, He Jing still had to adapt from his base camp to Camp 4 four times before climbing to the summit of Mount Everest. However, most climbers usually only need such high-altitude adaptation training. Go to Camp 2 and make a round trip or two.

"The storm and snow were blowing against the tent at night. Will I fly away with the tent? Will I be able to go home smoothly? What on earth am I doing here?" He Jing described the process of climbing after continuing to move forward after countless self-doubts. To "live towards death".

In May 2022, the scenery taken by He Jing while hiking.

Photo by He Jing

　　"I am not living on the road waiting for death, but looking for more possibilities in life as I move forward." He Jing said frankly that climbing is a process of understanding oneself, tolerating oneself, and thereby breaking through oneself. "Self-breakthrough is very important." The pain, the real pain, told me that I was still alive.”

　　Along with the "pain", from October 2016 to the present, He Jing has completed the anaerobic summit of 13 8,000-meter peaks, achieving multiple "firsts for Chinese women" breakthroughs on the top of the mountains.

　　For more than ten years, He Jing has been running 10 kilometers in the morning almost five days a week, and then cycling 40 kilometers to and from get off work. In addition, there are regular cross-country running, stair climbing and other daily training to "always prepare" for mountain climbing.

But apart from mountaineering, scientific research is He Jing's main job. She strives to maintain a balance between mountaineering and scientific research, and tries her best to make "everything in life progress while climbing."

In April 2022, climbers were passing through the Khumbu Glacier.

Photo by He Jing

　　While "attacking" herself, He Jing also constantly felt the changes around her.

“When we first climbed the mountain, there were at most two women in a ten-person team, but in recent years the number of women participating in this sport has grown rapidly around the world. They come from Japan, Russia, Iran, Spain... This is a discovery that I am particularly happy about. "

　　"Why go mountain climbing?" This is not only a question asked by reporters to He Jing, but also a question she has asked countless times to her climbing teammates.

Among the various answers, one of the resonances between He Jing and most female climbers is to tear off the gender "label" and practice women's right to choose freely in various fields.

"This is our life and we have to decide where to go."

　　Reaching the top is not the end, He Jing is more concerned about continuing to move forward.

From sleeping bags to hiking shoes, cameras to Chinese flags... He Jing's hiking luggage has always been in a "packed" state. When asked when she would set off again, she answered "any time."

(over)