On July 18, 1998, on the border of Yunzang, the glacier was 3,000 meters above sea level.
A pile of unidentified objects under the snow attracted the attention of herdsman Jiangbai Dorjee.
Out of curiosity, he walked towards the unidentified object.
A camera is stuck diagonally under the snow, and there are climbing water bottles, orange mountain hats, and hiking gloves scattered all over the place.
The thing doesn't look new, and it's printed with English letters.
Camp for mountaineering enthusiasts
Not far away, under the snow, a cloud of orange-yellow cloth was particularly dazzling under the reflection of the sun.
Jiang Bai Duoji was shocked, and his intuition told him that the dazzling orange-yellow must be extraordinary.
He walked over and dug down the snow with a dagger, and in a short time a silhouette of a human body was exposed under the glacier.
Dorjee's feet were weak, the whole person lost his center of gravity, and fell on the snow.
Out of the orange-yellow cloth was a dehydrated human face.
The face was black and gray, the mouth was open in an O-shape, and the cheek muscles were severely shrunk, giving it a painful and hideous appearance.
An hour later, the police from the county surrounded the air for hundreds of miles.
The bodies that were exhumed one after another were put into body bags, no more, no less, exactly seventeen.
尸体穿着统一款式登山服，登山服背面印有统一英文字母“Mountaineering team Japan”。
The policeman who led the team looked excited, and his hand holding the phone kept shaking, "Hey, chief, I found it, I found them." ”
As a diary of a mountaineer was unearthed, a murder in Mount Kinabalu that had been sealed for eight years was mentioned again.
1
Early November 1990.
Deqin County, Yunnan, in a single room in the sports compound.
The mountaineers from Japan and the Chinese mountaineering team got together and chatted enthusiastically.
"This time, we must plant the flag on the peak of Kawagebo. ”
Group photo of Chinese and Japanese team members
Inoue Jiro has a strong Japanese accent in his Chinese pronunciation, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to conquer the Kawagebo Peak.
A year ago, Japan's Kyoto University mountaineering team purchased the right to climb Meili Snow Mountain from the Chinese government for five years, and invited the Chinese mountaineering team to form a 29-member Sino-Japanese joint mountaineering team to launch the first round of attacks on Kawagebo.
However, when they climbed to an altitude of 5,300 meters, they encountered a large glacier and a large fault that could not be crossed, and the mountaineering team was forced to abandon the plan and return with regret.
Despite the defeat, Inoue and his teammates never gave up for a moment on their determination to conquer Kawagebo, the "virgin peak".
"I recommend the end of November, when the weather is colder, the snow and ice are firmer, and the chance of collapse is much less. ”
Song Zhiyi, the captain of the Chinese mountaineering team, held a notepad in his hand, which was densely packed with information about the climb to Kawagebo Peak.
As the captain of the Chinese mountaineering team, it is his lifelong dream to conquer the peak of Kawagebo.
"Yes, I agree, everybody look at this."
Pointing to a hand-drawn Tibetan map, Lin Wensheng, a member of the Tibetan team, said, "I suggest taking the route of Yubeng Village on the southern slope to the top, and from the map, the terrain of this line is relatively gentle, and there are many places suitable for camping." ”
Song Zhiyi nodded with satisfaction and added, "Well, yes, Yubeng Village is the highest village on the Meili Snow Mountain, and it is indeed suitable to climb the peak from here." ”
"This time, we can get more camps to ensure food and ......"
咚咚咚，咚咚咚
A sharp knock on the door interrupted the discussion.
Song Zhiyi made a gesture to pause the discussion and walked over to open the door.
"Who are you?"
An old lama stood outside the door.
2
"Are you going to climb Mount Kinabalu tomorrow?"
The old lama spoke a non-standard Mandarin and looked at a room of people with a serious expression.
Song Zhiyi was stunned for two seconds and asked, "Yes, do you have something?"
Song Zhiyi
"The action must be revoked, the sacred mountain will never allow outsiders to enter, and angering the gods will pay the price of blood. ”
The old lama's timbre was a few points higher, and his bronzed face was a little more flushed with excitement.
"Come in first," Lin Wensheng walked over and said to the lama in authentic Tibetan.
"You are a descendant of the Tibetan people, don't you know the taboo of the sacred mountain?" The old lama's eyes lit up, and he crossed Song Zhiyi and grabbed Lin Wensheng.
"We know" in the crowd, Slavsli walked out slowly.
Like Lin Wensheng, he is a descendant of the Tibetan people who grew up listening to the myth of Meili Snow Mountain.
Legend has it that Kawagebo was once a nine-headed and eighteen-armed monster, he did all kinds of evil, fish and flesh people, and was later influenced by the tantric patriarch Guru Padmasambhava, converted to Buddhism, and became the guardian saint of the snowy mountains of the sacred mountain.
Although Kawagebo is a patron saint who can protect the snow and descend to the world, he also has his taboos.
That is, human beings are absolutely not allowed to climb to the top of Kawagebo Peak, once a human reaches the summit, the gods will leave them, and these human souls will become slaves of the mountain gods, and they will be imprisoned in the snow for eternity and eternity, and they cannot enter reincarnation.
It turns out that since 1902, countless mountaineers from all over the world, no matter how well-equipped and experienced they are, have finally set foot in the Kawagebo Forbidden Land, and their bones are gone.
At an altitude of 6,740 meters, Kawagebo has become a "virgin peak" that can never be conquered in the world of human mountaineering.
Kawagebo
"The god of Kawagebo Mountain is a god that we Tibetans will always revere and can be used as a descendant of the Tibetan people."
Slavli paused for a second, turned around, and said in a loud voice in Mandarin, "As descendants of the Tibetan people, we want to know more than anyone how magnificent the real appearance of the Snow God Mountain, which is shrouded in thousand-year-old myths, and Lin Wensheng and I want to plant the five-star red flag at the peak of Kawagebo at the first time." ”
Bang bang bang
As soon as Slavsli finished speaking, there was a round of applause in the room.
The old lama looked strange, looking at the room full of passionate young people, and for the first time felt deep fear.
"You will regret it, you will, the dignity of the sacred mountain will never be trampled on by outsiders. ”
He shook his head and left disappointed.
The next day, the Sino-Japanese joint mountaineering team, a group of 29 people, headed for Meili Snow Mountain.
3
Meili Snow Mountain, together with Kailash in Tibet, Anima Qingshan in Qinghai, and Gaduo Juewo Mountain in Qinghai, is known as the four sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism.
Located in Deqin County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, it belongs to the Nushan Mountains of the Hengduan Mountains, with an average altitude of more than 6,000 meters and 13 peaks.
The main peak, Kawagebo Peak, with an altitude of 6,740 meters, has become the saddest mountain disaster in the history of mountaineering in the world due to its complex terrain and unpredictable climate.
The 29 members of the mountaineering team were divided into two groups of assault teams and set up a base camp at an altitude of 3,500 meters. The journey has been unusually smooth.
Surrounded by a thin layer of mist, the Meili Snow Mountain is confusing and esoteric.
Golden peaks
In the evening, the mist lifts and the setting sun shines on the summit of Kawagebo, which looks like a pyramid from afar.
On December 1, Lin Wensheng and eight Tibetan team members safely transported the last batch of supplies to the base camp.
Just in time for his 24th birthday, the team members sat around in the snow, placing dry food and liquor to celebrate his birthday.
The early stage went unexpectedly smoothly, and the players were very emotional.
Everyone drank wine, sang birthday songs, and sang and danced together.
Zhang Jun, the leader of the Yunnan Provincial Sports Commission, also specially sent a "red plum" cigarette as a birthday gift.
The Chinese and Japanese team members cherish each other, there is no distinction between nationality and nationality, and there is only one common wish, to conquer Kawagebo Peak.
Slatri raised his glass and sang a Tibetan song with passion.
"When I see the white Kawagebo, I think of my home......"
The rough singing echoed in the glacier and snow peaks for a long time, and the team members drank happily, but they did not know that after that night, what awaited them would be a thrilling catastrophe.
4
The ascent to the summit of Kawagebo has officially begun.
The team members carried more than 20 kilograms of supplies on their backs and carried their weights on the snow peaks.
There are cracks in the ice everywhere, and if you accidentally step a little heavier, you will step into the cracks, bringing danger to your life.
Lin Wensheng and Slatsri took the initiative to walk at the front of the line.
Suddenly, there was a strange sound from the glacier in the distance.
יהוה, יהוה.
I saw a huge stone rushing towards the team members.
It was too late to pull the team to the side, so he was in a hurry, raised one leg, and blocked it against the rushing boulder.
Smack
The boulder was unexpectedly struck, rerouted, and rolled down a hillside.
The other team members were saved, and one of Lin Wensheng's legs was smashed to blood.
After six days of continuous fighting, Camp No. 1 and No. 2 were established at an altitude of 4,600 meters and 5,330 meters respectively.
After the first phase of preparation was completed, when the selection of Camp 3 and 4 was entered, China and Japan had a dispute over the location of Camp 3 for the first time.
5
Camps 3 and 4 are the most dangerous sections of the trail and are nicknamed the "Hades Road" by the team members.
The straight ridges are hung with crumbling ice rocks, and avalanches, ice avalanches can happen at any time.
Out of consideration for the safety of the mountaineers, Song Zhiyi was extremely resolute on the issue of site selection.
"Camp 3 must avoid the ridge, otherwise the avalanche will come and no one will try to run out. ”
As an experienced veteran mountaineer, he always puts the life and death of his team members first.
"No, we don't agree" Jiro Inoue was also anxious.
"No. 3 must be close to No. 4, otherwise the two camps will run back and forth, the distance will not mention the physical strength of the team members, and there may be emergencies in the middle, time is of the essence, and we must ensure the success of the summit. ”
The atmosphere in the base camp was tense, and the Chinese and Japanese players were fighting for each other.
"Old Song, come here."
The vice captain couldn't stand it anymore, so he secretly pulled Song Zhiyi to the side.
"This time, you let the family go, after all, they have a lot of costs, we are just assisting, and what they said is right, it is really hard to run on both sides. ”
"No, I don't agree to put the lives and deaths of my teammates on the line, unless you can find a compromise. ”
When it comes to human life, Song Zhiyi refuses to give in at all.
"Don't say it, I really have it, you come here" has worked with Song Zhiyi for many years, and the deputy captain knows the other party's temper best.
"Look at this" he pulled Song Zhiyi back to the map, pointed to a location and said, "This is an ice wall, I have seen it during the day, it is very strong, there will be no accidents under normal circumstances, we built the No. 3 camp here, and it is close to the No. 4 camp, how about it?"
"Yes, we have no problem here. Jiro Inoue was the first to nod in agreement.
Song Zhiyi stared at the map for a while, and finally nodded.
Fifteen days later, camps 3 and 4 were built at an altitude of 5,100 and 5,900 meters, respectively.
Camp Four
After the camp was established, everyone began to enter the preparatory stage for the follow-up summit work.
But what worried Song Zhiyi still happened.
6
In the camp office, the team members are gathering together to discuss the plan for reaching the summit.
Suddenly, the teacup on the table fell to the ground with a "poof".
营地外响起轰隆隆的闷雷声。
The team members looked at each other, Song Zhiyi's face sank, and he shouted, "It's an avalanche, run to the high ground next to it." ”
Before he could finish speaking, the entire camp had begun to shake significantly.
The noise outside the camp was deafening, and the whole mountain shook.
Song Zhiyi was the last to run out, and he saw a large piece of snow collapsing directly above the camp.
The snow waves rushed straight in the direction of the camp with the air waves.
"Run, run to the side," he shouted as hard as he could.
The snow waves rolled up countless snows and smashed them down on their heads and faces.
Ten minutes later, the rumble died down completely, and the world returned to a state of silence.
Song Zhiyi dug up the snow covering his body, revealed a head, and looked around.
On the snow not far away, some heads were showing one after another.
The danger was lifted, Song Zhiyi was the first to come out of the snowdrift, counting the number of people all the way, and only after confirming the safety of all the staff did he exhale deeply.
"It's dangerous, it's dangerous" The deputy captain's face turned pale, and he kept chattering behind Song Zhiyi.
Camp 3 was recommended by him, and now that something has happened, he can't escape the blame.
"Forget it, you didn't know there would be an avalanche" Song Zhiyi patted him on the shoulder, pointed to the camp not far away and said, "Fortunately, the camp is still there, and the avalanche brakes on the head." ”
The deputy captain looked in the direction of Song Zhiyi's finger and couldn't help but gasp.
The last place where the avalanche stopped was less than a few hundred meters away from Camp Three.
"I'm proposing to bring the summit forward," Jiro Inoue trotted over, his hat and eyebrows covered in snow and his cheeks frozen.
"Reason" Song Zhiyi's face was not very good-looking, if it wasn't for accommodating him, it is estimated that he would not have encountered this unfortunate avalanche.
"The situation in this place is too unstable, we must solve it quickly, don't you have an old saying in China, called long nights and dreams?"
After he finished speaking, he glanced at Song Zhiyi, and added, "What's more, it's too late to choose Camp 3 again now, and we have no other way out." ”
Song Zhiyi frowned a little helplessly, this Japanese player seemed to be a little too eager for quick success.
But the current form is indeed as he said, and there is no way back for them.
He turned to look at the towering Kawagebo Peak in the distance, and slowly said, "On the 28th, we will officially reach the summit." ”
7
December 28th
The mountaineering team was divided into two groups, the first wave consisted of five advance team members, who went up the mountain first to explore the way, and the other team members were on standby at Camp 3.
At about 11 o'clock in the morning, the advance team climbed to the back of the main peak at an altitude of 6,200 meters.
This height has never been seen before, and everyone can't help but cheer as they look at the main peak that is close at hand.
One meter, two meters, three meters
As the team approached the summit infinitely, something strange happened.
Thick clouds suddenly appeared from the southeast, and these clouds drifted into the sky above the climbers with the help of the wind.
One second the sky was clear, the next second the temperature plummeted, and a strong wind began to blow around them, and the hurricane whipped the snow particles desperately in the faces of the climbers.
Snowflakes and dark clouds surrounded the peak of Kawagebo in an instant, and the visibility was less than half a meter.
"What should I do, I can't touch the safety lock," one of the team members shouted anxiously.
"Hey, hey, command, command" There is no other response in the walkie-talkie except for the rustling sound of electricity" is not good, and the walkie-talkie is also out of order. ”
The wind and snow were still raging, and the team members gritted their teeth and grabbed the rope and tried to stabilize themselves in the face of the wind and snow.
"Steady, don't panic" Japanese team member Funahara Naotake tried his best to calm the emotions of the players, the more panicked at the moment, the greater the risk "Everyone hold on to the rope, find a place to avoid first, and wait for the wind and snow to pass before acting." ”
There was silence in the procession, except for the howling wind and snow and a cloud of darkness.
Japanese Mountaineering Team
In Camp No. 3, Lin Wensheng was so anxious that he stomped his feet.
Seeing that the wind and snow were getting more and more intense, and all the walkie-talkies lost signal, he couldn't sit still anymore.
"No, we have to save people right away," he said, grabbing a rope and stuffing a few flashlights into his backpack, and walked out of the tent.
"Without my order, no one can take a step out of Camp No. 3 today" Captain Song Zhiyi firmly blocked the door and intercepted a group of team members.
"Team Song, if you don't go up again, I'm afraid the other comrades won't be able to come back" Lin Wensheng was anxious, he twisted his arm and was about to break in.
"Come on, tie up Lin Wensheng for me" Song Zhiyi blushed and shouted to the people around him.
Several team members rushed out and tied Lin Wensheng firmly in three or two.
"I see who dares to be tough, Lao Tzu will immediately and permanently expel him from the mountaineering team. ”
The crowd was silent, and everyone looked at each other and bowed their heads silently.
"Please, you guys have a little brain, the wind and snow are so big, the radios are all out of order, and now everyone goes up to save people, not only can't you find anyone, but it's likely that the whole army will be wiped out."
Song Zhiyi clenched his fists, his heart was dripping blood, he didn't want to see the team have an accident more than anyone else.
But years of mountaineering experience told him that going up the mountain to save people in blizzard weather is tantamount to collective suicide.
"Everyone stood by and waited for the snow to stop. After Song Zhiyi finished speaking, he glanced at the angry Lin Wensheng, then turned around and walked out of the tent.
Back at the headquarters, he kept guarding the walkie-talkie and constantly debugging, but no matter how he tried, he could not contact the advance team.
The watch hand stopped at half past four in the afternoon, it was already completely dark, and the wind and snow had no intention of stopping.
In the tent here, no one was in the mood to go back to rest, everyone sat around the stove, listened to the sound of the wind and snow outside, and secretly prayed for the team members in front of them.
The water on the stove boiled and boiled, and as the minutes passed, the sound of the wind and snow seemed to be much quieter.
The vice-captain couldn't sit still, so he stood up and walked out of the tent with a sentence of "I'll go out for a little relief".
In the tent next door, Song Zhiyi was fully armed and was loading a flashlight into his hiking bag.
"What are you doing?" the vice-captain opened the curtain, just in time to see this scene.
"You and the others stay in the camp, I'll go out and have a look. ”
"You're crazy, the snow hasn't stopped. ”
"It's okay, I've walked through the snow heavier than this" Song Zhiyi pushed away the deputy captain's arm, "You take care of them, no one is allowed to come without my order." ”
"I want to go, let's go together" The deputy captain saw that he couldn't stop him, so he went to wear a mountaineering suit.
"Listen to me, I am the captain, and I have the obligation to bring them back safely" Song Zhiyi grabbed the arm of his old colleague and said with a serious expression, "Listen, tomorrow at dawn, if I and the others don't come back, you will evacuate with the team, remember." ”
After speaking, he faced the wind and snow and disappeared into the vast snowy mountains.
At nine o'clock in the evening, the snow finally stopped.
The deputy captain tried to contact Song Zhiyi with a walkie-talkie, but the signal was intermittent.
At ten o'clock in the evening, the walkie-talkie still did not respond.
At eleven o'clock, there was a wheezing sound on the walkie-talkie, and the deputy captain was so excited that he kept asking "Hey, hey, anyone?
At twelve o'clock, there was an abnormal movement outside the camp, and the deputy captain hurriedly used a strong flashlight to drill out of the tent.
Everywhere the electric light reached, several shadows appeared in order from small to large.
A rough count, no more, no less, exactly six.
8
Song Zhiyi returned with the advance team members, and the camp erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
The five team members were safely evacuated to the camp, and the excitement of the aftermath made the team forget the fear of death.
Everyone dragged their tired bodies back to their tents to rest.
That night, everyone had a strange dream: "At the top of the snow-capped mountains, there was a stag shining on its antlers, and he looked at them, and then he turned away, followed by this gray wolf." ”
The first ascent failed, but the team learned more about the climate and topography of the summit, and became more confident about the next steps.
Subsequently, the two mountaineers agreed together to establish Camp 5 as an assault camp, and on January 4, 1991, the summit operation was launched again.
9
On December 29, Jiro Inoue, a member of the Japanese team, drafted a telegram on the successful summit and asked Zhang Jun, the liaison officer of the Chinese side, to take it to the bottom of the mountain, ready to send it out immediately after the successful summit.
Zhang Jun went down the mountain to deliver the letter, successfully escaped, and became the only survivor among the mountaineers.
From New Year's Day 199, it snowed heavily for several days, and the climbers had to stand by at Camp 3.
On the evening of January 3, Zhang Jun had a final call with Camp 3.
The team told him that "the snow was falling so much, the snow was 1.2 meters high, the tents were almost buried, and the team members had to go out to clear the snow every hour or two." ”
At the same time, ominous suspicions also loomed over the families of the mountaineers.
Zeng Caiyun, the wife of the deputy captain, recalled: "When I came home from work on the night of January 3, my son cried on the table and did not do his homework. I asked him why he didn't do his homework, and he suddenly turned around and said, "Mom, my dad buried the snow!"
On January 4, a nervous Zhang Jun got up early in the morning, and when he turned on the walkie-talkie to contact Camp 3 as usual, there was a dead silence.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and for the next two hours, all the staff at the base camp tried to contact Camp 3 using two channels, but to no avail.
Considering the urgency of the situation, the base camp quickly reported the situation to the higher authorities.
At 10 p.m. on January 8, the rescue team of the China Mountaineering Association rushed to Deqin County.
A reconnaissance plane flew near Kawagebo and took a series of photographs.
Judging from the photos, there is a large amount of snow at the location of Camp 3, and it is initially judged that an avalanche has occurred.
On January 25, after 25 days of rescue work, a spokesman for the China Mountaineering Association announced with deep sorrow: "This rescue operation has failed. It has been more than 20 days since the accident, and judging from the topography and environment, there is no possibility of anyone surviving. ”
17 fresh lives disappeared in the vast snow-capped mountains.
Since 2001, considering the local cultural customs, Deqin County has decided to ban climbing Meili Snow Mountain.
The courage of the mountaineers to conquer nature is commendable, but perhaps respecting and revering nature is the way that human beings should choose to survive.