Chapter 381 Broken Flag
In the rubble on the roadside, a tattered flag representing faith flutters in the wind, firmly rooted between the stones. Perhaps the dream of an unknown climber is buried there.
The vast expanses of snow-capped mountains reflected the dazzling orange-yellow sunlight, making everyone dazzled. For a moment, they even suspected that they were hallucinating. Otherwise, how could there be such magnificent snow-capped mountains in the world?
Seven days, a full seven days!
It took the group seven full days to finally reach the Everest Base Camp!
Originally they could have rested in the small village below for a whole day, but no one could wait any longer.
From soil to rock, from black to white, from warmth to cold, all for this moment.
Right now!
Whether you are looking down from an airplane, gazing from afar, or looking up at the foot of the mountain, they are three completely different ways of communicating with the Goddess Peak, as if its beauty is endless. Even if it is just one millimeter different, the beauty you see is completely different.
Everyone stood at the edge of the snow line and looked up at the sky.
The cold wind is biting just at the snow line, and every breath seems to be inhaling ice. It is hard to imagine how cold and biting it is on the top of the mountain at a vertical height of 3,000 meters. That is the highest pole in the world, the third pole of the earth!
"Hey, stop writing a diary. Who would write a diary if they were serious?"
After crossing the snow line, Yao Jun complained about Bifang's behavior of putting away his small textbook, and trotted excitedly to the flat ground. When the flag appeared in front of him, Yao Jun couldn't help but stop, shielding the sun with his right hand, squinting his eyes, and curiously asked: "How long has it been stuck here? Why is it broken like this?"
Rob, the leader of the team, came from behind. I don’t know if he really understood Chinese or just happened to mention the flag. He panted and said, “Maybe a few weeks, or maybe a few months. I didn’t see it when I came here last year. I wonder if the owner of the flag succeeded.”
"A few weeks? A few months?" Yao Jun had studied abroad after all, so he heard exactly what Rob said. He was shocked and even took two steps back. Could a few weeks or months almost tear a flag into pieces?
"The environment on Mount Everest is very harsh, especially the south slope, which has abundant rainfall and marine monsoon climate characteristics. Even within a day, the weather is unpredictable, not to mention the changing weather throughout the year. Especially from mid-November to mid-February of the following year, under the control of a strong northwest cold current, the temperature has reached minus 60 degrees Celsius, and the average temperature is between -40℃ and 50℃. The maximum wind speed is 90 meters per second!"
Wang Yongbo came up from the back of the team panting heavily. He took a deep breath after hearing the data. The cold air squeezed out all the warmth from his lungs, and even his brain became a little clearer. His voice was a little distorted: "Ninety meters per second?"
"That's right." Bifang nodded affirmatively, even frowning, as if he had already thought of that horrific scene.
Ninety meters per second! ?
What is the concept?
Wang Yongbo glanced at Rob and found that this so-called experienced guide also had a solemn expression. Saito's expressionless face, which had not changed for thousands of years, seemed to have been frozen for a little longer and would never melt.
Even the lord who was used to seeing many storms and waves looked solemn, as if he was facing an African lion on the grassland.
But what exactly is this concept?
Wang Yongbo was a little embarrassed, but seeing that no one seemed to be willing to explain, and Bifang had even started to move forward, he could only bite the bullet and ask awkwardly, "Is the wind... strong?"
Bifang's right foot, which had just stepped out, twisted slightly without making a sound. He then coughed twice and looked back at Wang Yongbo, his eyes full of disbelief.
have no idea?
I don't know what the hell you were doing just now?
Are they breathing together just to create atmosphere?
Facing Bifang's murderous gaze, Wang Yongbo was so embarrassed that he picked his feet, pointed at everyone, and then pointed at himself: "It's more than 5,000 meters here, isn't it normal for me to breathe... You can't treat me like a monster like you guys."
Indeed, everyone in the team has more or less some basic knowledge of hiking. Even Jarrett and the photographer he brought with him are gold medalists from the Adventure Channel. How could they say they have never hiked?
Only Wang Yongbo doesn’t count, he is here purely to experience life.
However, Wang Yongbo was right in saying that not everyone can adapt to an altitude of more than 5,000 meters. At this altitude, many people dare not make big movements, and even have to slow down their walking, otherwise the feeling of lack of oxygen will be obvious. Wang Yongbo and Sir Alex even use oxygen cylinders occasionally.
At this time, the audience in the live broadcast room were all laughing. Etienne, who was thousands of miles away, laughed so hard that his phone dropped. The recliner he was lying on hit the corner of his mouth, causing his lips and teeth to collide and he screamed in pain.
[President Wang really made me laugh to death]
[You laugh at him for not understanding wind speed levels, he laughs at you for not understanding financial freedom]
[To be honest, I don’t quite understand this concept, but it feels really cool]
[I've been climbing for so long, can't I take a breath? ]
Bifang turned around and saw the barrage, and found that many of the audience also did not understand. Only then did he realize that he had not explained it clearly. He had been shocked by Xuefeng before and forgot about it for a while. Many of the audience were just ordinary people and had no idea about such detailed divisions.
"A wind speed of 90 meters per second is twice that of a level 16 typhoon. Generally, we call winds above level 12 typhoons or hurricanes. They are extremely destructive and rarely seen on land. In nature, winds can sometimes exceed level 12. For example, the wind force at the center of a strong typhoon or a tornado can be much greater than level 12. It's just that winds above level 12 are relatively rare, so there is generally no specific level limit. Level 16 corresponds to winds above 51 meters, which can uproot large trees and completely destroy brick houses."
"You know, the largest cloud of acid rain found on Venus so far can spread over 7,500 kilometers and has existed on Venus since 1983, but its wind speed is only about 90 meters per second."
With comparison, it is much easier for people to understand.
[Fuck, this is too scary, right? ]
[Is this also the reason why airplanes cannot reach Mount Everest? 】
"There is this reason. If it is just the altitude, even civil aviation can reach it. The altitude is generally above 10,000 meters, but civil aviation cannot land. The aircraft can only cruise at high altitudes. If it needs to land at a low speed, it must lower the flaps to increase lift. However, when the aircraft is at a low speed, at the height of Mount Everest, the flaps cannot be operated due to the aircraft configuration."
Bifang shook his head and explained that these reasons would cause the plane to be unable to slow down and land.
And due to the structural strength, lowering the landing gear at high speed will directly cause it to fall off, but at low speed it is impossible to ensure that the aircraft has sufficient lift.
"If it was skydiving, that would be even more impossible, because the oxygen content was insufficient and the air pressure difference made it impossible for the plane to decompress. People at this altitude would die from lack of oxygen, even those who have climbed Mount Everest."
From an airplane to an altitude of 10,000 meters, the air pressure changes too quickly, so quickly that the human body cannot adapt to it at all. In addition, the weather is bad, making it not suitable for landing at all.
Avalanches, valley winds, and winds so strong that they are unimaginable to ordinary people. It is not difficult to overturn the world's largest passenger aircraft, the A380.
Bifang smiled and said: "If 6 billion people in the world jump together, there might be a few unlucky ones who fall on the top of the mountain... and freeze to death."
[Is this a cold joke? ]
【Where's the helicopter? Where's the helicopter? 】
"That won't work. A helicopter relies on the rotation of its propellers to give itself a downward force in order to fly upwards. However, above 5,000 meters, the pressure is too low and it is simply not able to provide enough force. If the rotation speed is increased, it will still be difficult to achieve with the current configuration. The air flow at high altitudes is complex and it is difficult for a helicopter to control its direction. It is easy to crash into a mountain. It is for these reasons that climbing a mountain can become a warrior's badge and a lifetime honor."
Bifang took off his sunglasses and pointed forward.
"Okay, let's move forward quickly. Now that we're at the snow line, don't forget to wear sunglasses, otherwise you'll easily get snow blindness. I taught you all about it when we were in Mohe. If you don't have any, you can also use a strip of cloth or charcoal ash to cover your eyes."
Soon, the group arrived at the base camp. Unlike what they had imagined, the place was filled with tents everywhere, and even many corners were filled with garbage!
Plastic bags and torn cloth of various colors look particularly ugly against the backdrop of the snow-white Mount Everest!
[Oh my god, there are so many rich people]
[I threw a brick in there and killed a millionaire on the spot]
[Fang Shen caught the brick with his backhand and threw it back to you. Zhang San: This is legitimate defense! ]
[Damn, why is there so much garbage? ]
[No way? Throwing garbage on Mount Everest, do you have any sense of public morality? ]
Bifang looked at Attenborough, but found that he was not as emotional as he had imagined.
The Sir's face was calm, as if he had seen the same scene thousands of times before: "Since we came to this planet as living beings, we have cut down, dug up, burned, and poisoned other living beings. And today we are carrying out the same atrocities on an unprecedented scale. A hundred years ago, there were only 1.5 billion people on Earth. Today, our fragile planet is filled with more than 6 billion people. But even so, there are still places on Earth that are rarely visited by people. With the commercial development of Mount Everest, this scene is almost predictable."
Guide Rob seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere and quickly changed the subject, leading everyone straight into a large tent with their company logo hanging outside.
Everyone followed closely behind, and when they entered the thick tent, a warm air current suddenly rushed towards their frozen red faces, and the original ice debris quickly melted and evaporated.
"Fuck, this is so cool."
Yao Jun was the first to enter and took a deep breath. Compared to the biting cold wind outside, he wanted to stay here and not go out. Compared to the harsh environment outside, this place was simply a paradise.
"Wait a moment, I'll take the others to find their guide first." After settling Bifang and the others, Rob immediately took Withers and the others away to find their real guide.
Bifang was walking around, showing everyone the view inside the tent, which was really nice.
The biomass pellet stove provided a constant supply of heat, warming the entire tent, and the fluffy blankets even looked new.
There are also a lot of fast food piled up in the corner, as well as fresh food such as potatoes and tomatoes, and even an oxygen concentrator. It can only be said that you get what you pay for. Sixty-five thousand dollars is indeed expensive, but the guarantee is real.
After climbing the mountain for a whole day, everyone lay down on the blankets, feeling extremely comfortable.
While Rob was away, everyone took a break. About half an hour later, Rob came back. He successfully sent Withers and others away, and at the same time organized a chat for everyone.
The content of the chat is nothing more than the mental journey, which is the so-called psychological guidance. Almost every qualified guide will do this, the purpose is to enable everyone to treat Mount Everest with a peaceful mood.
If you can still have fun below the base camp, then once you are at the base camp, it will be a completely different world.
The rugged roads, cold climate, howling winds, and glaciers hidden under the snow are all deadly.
Bifang lifted the curtain and looked at the sky. Finding that there was still some time before sunset, he took the opportunity to suggest going out to take a look.
Everyone agreed, and Rob looked at the time and readily agreed.
"I remember there is a pass above the base camp. It's not far away and less than a hundred meters high. We should be able to reach the pass before dark and come back."
Thinking of this, everyone immediately became excited.
"A pass is a common place on the plateau. It is usually a saddle-shaped depression on the ridge, often serving as a traffic channel between high mountains and ridges. On the mountain, it is a very suitable platform for overlooking."
With a target in mind, Bifang and the others set off immediately, leaving only Wang Yongbo, who was gasping for breath, and the exhausted Jue Ye in the tent.
As a result, not long after they left the tent and moved away from the base camp, Bifang made a discovery and immediately grabbed everyone.
"Hey, it's the Tibetan Snow Chicken!"
Hidden snow chicken?
Rob and others were stunned. When they saw the direction Bifang pointed, they found nothing. It was not until they watched for several minutes that they saw some little guys moving between the rocks.
The photographer understood and adjusted the camera to aim at the Tibetan snowcock.
Rob was shocked on the spot, and couldn't stop looking at Bifang. How did this guy find out?
Not only that, after 4,000 meters, Rob started to pay close attention to this anchor who he thought was stupid, but everything he observed shocked Rob.
Without any experience in altitude climbing, we reached the base camp at over 5,000 meters without any signs of altitude sickness.
Although he has no mountaineering experience, he knows it so well that he uses it as if it were instinct.
How is that possible?
Is this guy hiding some records?
Is this a fucking anchor?
"Tibetan snow chicken? Where are the chickens? Can we eat them?" Yao Jun was excited when he heard there was chicken. The whole way there were fried noodles, fried rice, noodle soup , steamed buns and other things on rotation. At first, he was full of novelty about these meals and would take photos after ordering them. But later, when he heard that he had to eat, he felt a little nauseous.
"Eat your head." Bifang rolled his eyes, speechless. "Although this thing is a non-endangered animal worldwide, it is a national second-class protected animal in our country. If you eat it in front of me, where will I put my face?"
Yao Jun curled his lips when he heard that it was a protected animal: "But isn't this Nepal?"
Bifang's mouth twitched, as if it was true, and he didn't know what to say for a moment. Then he changed the subject: "You can't eat it even if you catch it. It's over 5,000 meters long, and the food can't be boiled at all. You can't eat it."
"You can grill it. Isn't there a grill in the tent?" Yao Jun said as a matter of course.
Bifang: “…”
[Damn, it's rare to see Lao Fang get humiliated]
[666, you are indeed the top brother on the list, you make Fang Shen lose face as soon as you open your mouth]
[You should call the old lord now! ! ]
[Sir, it's you who has been chosen. Replace Fang Shen! ]
[Are there any animals at more than 5,000 meters? 】
"Hey, hey, hey, how come you forget your old love when you have a new one?" Bifang was speechless and pointed to the Tibetan snow chickens in the rocks not far away. "Tibetan snow chickens generally live in alpine shrubs, tundra and bare rock areas at an altitude of about 3,000 to 6,000 meters. It coincides with our location, and it often forages near the snow line. It likes to gather in groups, mostly in small groups of 3-5."
The audience's attention was immediately drawn, and they counted the moving stones and found that there were exactly five of them, exactly as Fang Shen had said.
Bullshit!
"The Tibetan snow chicken is similar in size to a domestic chicken, with gray and white feathers on its body. The dark gray color occupies a large area of its wings, while the white color occupies a large area of its abdomen."
"You see, this color allows them to blend in with the ground when they lie down, making them less likely to be noticed by their predators. This is also their way of survival. Moreover, the incubation time of Tibetan snowcocks living in different places will also be different. According to the Huaxia Birds Records, it takes 27 days in Xinjiang, 26 days in Xinjiang, and 19-22 days in Gansu."
Just as Bifang was lying on the ground, preparing to move closer to explain, a shrill scream interrupted his words.
"Help!!"
