The Taklamakan Desert, known as the "Sea of Death". Extreme cold, sickness, hunger, thirst...... In the past 40 days, Zhou Yang and Zhang Zhiguo have been tormented by the Taklamakan Desert they yearn for. "Thank you for letting us go!" On February 11, Zhou Yang wrote this sentence in his circle of friends, not long ago, he and Zhang Zhiguo completed the plan to cross the Taklamakan Desert, walking a total of 1,004 kilometers. Standing at the N39 Desert Expedition Base in Makati County, behind them are the boundless sand dunes and in front of them are flowers and cheers.
The Taklamakan Desert, the largest desert in China, is known as the "Sea of Death," which means "no way out" in Uyghur. The cross-country route that crosses the Taklamakan Desert on the longest horizontal axis is the "ultimate goal" in the eyes of countless trekkers, and it is also one of the most difficult of the top cross-country routes, known in the industry as the N39 crossing. On February 14, the cover news reporter talked to the party Zhou Yang to understand the story behind the "extreme crossing".
Plans can't keep up with the changes
In extremely cold weather, "I once felt that my leg might be amputated"
On December 21, 2024, Zhou Yang and Zhang Zhiguo each carried backpacks weighing 100 kilograms into the desert. Although he seemed to have made sufficient preparations before, however, the plan could never catch up with the change, and on the third day of departure, Zhou Yang developed symptoms of hypoglycemia. "The physical exertion exceeded expectations." Zhou Yang said that he and Zhang Zhiguo had previously walked nearly 1,000 kilometers in the desert, and given that the sand in Taklamakan is softer and there are more sand dunes, "the original assessment was that the speed would only drop by 20 to 30 percent, and the food and water were prepared according to this standard." ”
However, the actual situation was far higher than expected, and they were much slower than planned. To reach the next supply point before they run out of food and water, they must follow a plan to complete their daily journey. "At the end of the first day, my whole body was sore, from my toes, soles, calves, knees, thighs, and waist to numbness and pain." Zhou Yang said.
In the two-person plan, the crossing is divided into five sections, with four supply points on the way, all of which are local towns or service areas, and it is an ultra-long-distance trek with no backup and self-supply. The first section is from the Taitma Lake Group in Ruoqiang County to the Weihe Highway, with a total distance of 220 kilometers, and the supply point is at the end; The second section is from Weihe Highway to Tazhong Town, with a total distance of 210 kilometers; The third section from Tazhong Town to Ryabyi Township, the whole journey is more than 190 kilometers; The fourth section is from Dariyabuyi Township to Hongbaishan Service Area, with a total distance of 90 kilometers; The fifth section is 290 kilometers from the Hongbai Mountain Service Area to the N39 Desert Exploration Base in Maigaiti County.
"At the end of the first stretch, I felt like I might have to have my leg amputated." Zhou Yang said that the temperature at night is around -25 degrees Celsius, and the maximum temperature at noon during the day is only -5 degrees Celsius. In the extremely cold weather, his nose was scratched by himself, and his toes were frozen to the point of being unconscious, Zhou Yang rested for three days at the first supply point, and the symptoms of numbness in his feet could not be alleviated.
The water almost ran out in the sweltering heat
The 11-day itinerary was completed in 8 days
With the experience and lessons learned from the first segment, the second leg of the journey was relatively smooth. However, on the third leg of the trip, the temperature came to a 180-degree turn, and the temperature soared to 10°C-15°C during the day. Burdened with constant climbing over sand dunes, Zhou Yang and Zhang Zhiguo had problems controlling the water. "If the water is cut off in the desert, it will basically fail, and after Zhang Zhiguo realized this problem, we almost gritted our teeth and ran all the way." He said the journey, which was originally planned to be completed in 11 days, took only eight days.
The long-term walking made Zhou Yang and Zhang Zhiguo's soles and heels wear out, and every step was torment. One morning in the process of the fifth section of the journey, "You carry the burden, I lead the horse, usher in the sunrise, send away the sunset, step on the bumpy road, become a road, fight against the hardships and dangers, set off again, set off again......" Zhou Yang began to sing while collecting the tent, Zhang Zhiguo also joined immediately, the two together, sang louder and louder, leaving a heroic spirit on the barren desert that dared to ask where the road was.
On February 7, when Zhou Yang and Zhang Zhiguo walked less than 50 kilometers to the finish camp, their mobile phones finally had a signal. The first thing he did was to report safety to his lover and friends who cared about him, "At that time, I knew that I was basically successful, and I was in a very good mood." ”
The 29 kilometers on the last day were almost flat sand, and the joy of victory in Zhou Yang's heart had already outweighed the pain. On the afternoon of February 8, when they were still 2-3 kilometers away from the finish line, Zhou Yang and Zhang Zhiguo saw their lovers and friends coming to greet them with flowers.
On February 8, after Zhou Yang and Zhang Zhiguo arrived at the N39 Desert Exploration Base in Maigaiti County, relatives and friends sent flowers
Measure the magnificent mountains and rivers of the motherland
The "extreme journey" must first have professional and adequate preparation
The reporter learned that 37-year-old Zhou Yang is a native of Chongqing, 11 years ago, under the influence of the movie "Turning the Mountain", he decided to go to this world to take a look and measure the magnificent mountains and rivers of the motherland. With this walk, he became a professional hiker. "I spend most of my time hiking in various places every year, it's my job and it's my hobby." Zhou Yang said that from the one- or two-day trip to the challenge of one or two months, the route he took became more and more difficult.
"Crossing the Taklamakan Desert" is the "ultimate goal" he set in 2017. Since then, he has been preparing for this plan. "First of all, it's a physical reserve, it's not something that can be accumulated in a short period of time." Zhou Yang said that in the past 7 years, his daily efforts and every departure are to lay the foundation for the "ultimate goal", "The craziest time, I used to run 40 kilometers round trip from home to the company." When I am interested, I will walk all night in Nanshan, Chongqing, and set off with a power bank, a mobile phone, and a bottle of water. ”
Even with long-term reserves, before this departure, Zhou Yang still carried out a month-long assault training, carrying 116 pounds to climb the 106th floor. In addition to physical fitness, in order to prevent accidents, Zhou Yang carried a total of 3 satellite devices, 2 satellite phones and 1 Beidou messenger this time. Before leaving, he also did a urine purification experiment, "although the amount of water needed will be calculated before departure, but if there is an emergency, the water is used up in advance, then you have to drink urine and purify urine when necessary."
Before leaving, Zhou Yang climbed 106 floors with a weight of 116 pounds
The water, food, camping equipment, cooking utensils, clothing, etc. on the way through the crossing all had to be carried by Zhou Yang and Zhang Zhiguo themselves, and each person's backpack was 85 to 100 pounds during the whole trip. Among them, half of the weight of the backpack comes from water - mineral water, electrolyte water, honey water, vitamin water, "honey water is to replenish energy, mineral water is heated and then soaked in powder". He said that this time, the main food is whole grain flour, in addition to air-dried beef, dried fish and shrimp, sugar and other foods to replenish energy according to the situation.
Carry water
Food to carry
He has achieved dazzling results on foot many times
Every long hike is like a microcosm of life
"The long-distance route will make people very quiet, very close to their hearts, and in the most bitter and difficult times, they will always think of happy moments." This is a passage written by Zhou Yang in the circle of friends. Walking day after day in a vast and uninhabited environment, he never felt bored and bored. "Hiking long distances has a clear goal, and every day is an effort to accomplish that goal, which is not a miniature version of life."
In Zhou Yang's profile, his "glorious achievements" are recorded: "In 2019 and 2020, he hiked 3,500 kilometers in the Hengduan Mountains twice, and in 2024, he hiked the 1,000-kilometer Taihang Mountains, and won the 14th Golden Rhino Best Expedition Award and the 16th Golden Rhino Best Team Nomination!" ”
Next, he wants to challenge the "China Long-distance Trail" in China National Geographic magazine. This is a large cross tectonic frame, which refers to the intersection of the central orogenic belt and the north-south tectonic belt in the border areas of Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan provinces. Among them, the Daxing'an Mountains, Taihang Mountains, Qinling Mountains, Hengduan Mountains and Gaoligong Mountains are connected into a line to form the Central National Trail, with a total length of about 8,000 kilometers; Kunlun Mountain, Bayan Kala Mountain, Qinling Mountains, Funiu Mountain, and Dabie Mountains are connected into a line to form the Longji National Trail, with a total length of about 6,000 kilometers.
"I want to tell everyone that you have to be brave and hardworking, there is nothing that cannot be done, you have to have a belief." Zhou Yang said.
The "extreme" of outdoor adventure is highly demanding
Experts remind: do what you can and don't travel blindly
"Mom, life is a wilderness", "If you don't set off, you'll get old", "The world is so big, I want to see it", in recent years, traveling, traveling, and hiking have been favored by more and more people. However, in addition to enjoying the natural scenery and challenging the limits, there are occasional incidents of being in distress on foot and getting lost and trapped.
According to comprehensive media reports, on February 11, a female teacher in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, fell off a cliff while hiking in Qixing Mountain; On February 8, a man in Ningde, Fujian Province, climbed a mountain and tried to take a shortcut, but unexpectedly "caught a dilemma"; On February 3, mountaineers were trapped in the depths of the Tianshan Mountains seeking rescue...... In addition to ordinary hiking enthusiasts, there are also "big names" in the hiking industry who have been killed.
Liu Jian, president of the Sichuan Mountaineering and Outdoor Sports Association, reminded: "Hiking requires very professional skills, especially adequate logistical preparation, and there are many potential risks, and the chance of accidents is extremely high for people who are unfamiliar with the environment, lack of experience or are not fully prepared." Therefore, don't blindly compare the achievements of those who are professional, as an ordinary person, before every hike, participants should fully understand the route, weather and their own abilities to ensure safety. ”
(Photo provided by the interviewee)
Cover News丨Reporter Yao Jijun Mapping Li Xiaoxue