Many Sherpas have unique naming conventions. Since there are seven days in a week, the name corresponds to the day of the week in which one is born. For example, Mingma is Tuesday, Purupa is Thursday, and Nima is Sunday.
Therefore, in a team, there will be many Nima...
Mingma Sherpa smiled warmly as he accepted the US dollars, then said, "I'll build the road for you within three days, so it won't delay your climb up the Hillary Step. All the oxygen tanks will also be in place."
Here, as long as you have money, you can do anything, even have Sherpas carry you to the summit of Mount Everest.
Next, everyone had to wait for the Sherpas to set up safety ropes and aluminum ladders for all the climbers without any safety measures in place.
Twenty-three aluminum ladders need to be built across the ice cliffs on Mount Everest.
Only in this way will there be a route to the summit of Mount Everest.
Over the years, the majority of deaths on Mount Everest have not actually been among mountaineers, but rather among Sherpas.
For example, an avalanche occurred here in 2014, killing 14 Sherpas.
For example, in the 2016 Nepal earthquake, 18 people died on Mount Everest, 13 of whom were Sherpas, who were the most vulnerable.
The Sherpa group was about to depart. The Nima Sherpa, whom the guide Xiao Zhang had invited, found Mingma Sherpa and whispered something to him, occasionally pointing at Qingchen.
What they said was nothing more than things like, "This person said he wanted to experience being on a safety rope with us," "He gave us too much," and "Don't worry, nothing will happen, I'm watching him."
The main point is that Qing Chen gave too much...
Mingma glanced at Qingchen with a worried expression, then walked over and asked in English, "Have you ever had experience climbing at an altitude of 8,000 meters before? Have you ever been to places like K2?"
Qingchen smiled and shook his head, then took out two 1000-gram gold bars from his backpack and placed them in Mingma's hand.
One piece is equivalent to 420,000 RMB, so two pieces would be 840,000 RMB.
Only then did Mingma truly understand the meaning of the statement, "He gave too much"...
Mingma, who was in charge of the entire mountaineering operation, thought for a few seconds and then said, "Welcome to join us."
This Mingma has spent more than 20 years on Mount Everest and has a nickname among Chinese people: "Mingma Price".
...
...
As the Sherpa team set off, the mountaineers watched them walk into the glacier as if seeing off heroes on a mission.
The only odd thing was that there was a young mountaineer mixed in with the Sherpa group.
A crackling sound came from the mountains. Qingchen asked Nima, "What's that sound?"
Nima said with a worried look, "You've really never been to this altitude before. That's a crevasse. Don't panic. Mingma and the others ahead will observe the situation and we'll only proceed once we're sure it's safe. Don't shout in the mountains, or you might trigger an avalanche."
Qingchen smiled and said, "If there's anything you need to be careful about on the way, just tell me."
Nima sighed, "Please, please don't let your sugar daddy die on Mount Everest: 'Give me your backpack, otherwise I'll be burning my hands holding your money...'"
Chapter 742, Desperate Situation, Deadly Trap!
Countdown 84:00:00.
The Sherpas built bridges and roads along the way, and by the time they reached Camp C1 at an altitude of 5,900 meters, it was already noon, and the sun was blazing.
Nima, carrying Qingchen's enormous hiking backpack, asked curiously, "Boss, what's in your bag? It's so much heavier than everyone else's..."
Qing Chen said with a smile, "Daily necessities."
At this point, the Sherpa leader had already given instructions that Nima did not need to help build bridges and roads or carry oxygen tanks; he only needed to serve this young boss well.
After all, when the small business owner is happy, he gives tips in the form of 100-gram gold bars.
Leader Mingma realized that they had encountered a truly generous customer who "regarded money as dirt".
Mingma glanced at the sky: "Camp C1 is not safe right now. We've finally waited for a window of opportunity, so let's continue our journey and head straight to Camp C2 at 6400 meters. We'll set up a kitchen tent there, start a fire, and cook. Someone, carry the young boss up the mountain."
Qing Chen was both amused and exasperated.
Following the pace of the climbers, everyone set off on the first day and arrived at Camp 1 at 5900 meters at noon. By then, everyone's physical strength had been almost completely depleted.
So, everyone will rest here for one night and head to Camp C2 at an altitude of 6,400 meters the next day.
However, Sherpas are not as delicate as mountaineers; they earn their money by risking their lives, so they plan to cross both Camp 1 and Camp 2 in one day.
The only thing that worried Mingma was whether Qingchen, this wealthy patron, could keep up in terms of stamina.
But it's alright, the Sherpas have plenty of strength; it's just a matter of carrying seven or eight more oxygen cylinders...
Qingchen smiled and refused, saying, "You don't need to carry me. Just keep going. I'll let you know when I can't hold on anymore."
On the way to Camp C2, Nima was constantly worried about Qingchen's health, glancing at his benefactor every now and then. He didn't even dare to talk to Qingchen, fearing that Qingchen might faint from lack of breath...
However, Nima suddenly noticed that even at an altitude of over 6,000 meters, this small business owner was still smiling and enjoying the scenery.
"Young boss, have you really never climbed a mountain over 8,000 meters?" Nima asked.
Qing Chen smiled and shook his head: "No."
The Sherpas don't know that this might be the end point for many mountaineers, and also the end point for them, the Sherpas.
But for Qing Chen, this was just the beginning.
He focused solely on appreciating the beautiful scenery, and while doing so, he tried using breathing techniques to adjust his state to its optimal level.
Qing Chen has been preparing for this life-or-death challenge for so long, killing so many people, and spending almost 90% of his time eliminating dangers. Now, only 10% of the journey remains.
However, what even Qingchen didn't know was that the transparent dragonfly above his head had been following him all the way to the top of Mount Everest.
...
Countdown 78:00:00.
In the evening, the group arrived at Camp C2 and rested there for a short night.
That night, Qingchen disappeared for a brief hour. When Nima found out, he was terrified. However, just as they were about to go out to look for the young boss, the young boss walked back with a smile.
...
Countdown 32:00:00.
The Sherpas arrived at Camp C3 at an altitude of 7,300 meters.
This is the final stop on the sprint to the 8848-meter summit.
For ordinary hikers, after reaching Camp 3, they would return to the foot of the mountain, such as to Namche Bazaar or Kathmandu.
The low altitude there allows your physical strength to gradually recover, and as long as it doesn't exceed a week, it's perfectly acceptable.
Until one day, the guides confirmed that a clear "window" had arrived on Mount Everest, and then everyone returned to Everest Base Camp to review the problems that occurred during the first ascent, and then launched the final sprint.
What everyone is waiting for is not their own health, but the weather.
In this place, you will understand the insignificance of humankind and begin to learn to respect the world.
This place is already a no-go zone.
At Camp C3, a biting wind howled, making all the tents rattle loudly. The temperature had already dropped to -36 degrees Celsius overnight. If you spent the night outside, you would most likely die of hypothermia.
Qingchen sat cross-legged and breathed in his tent.
Mingma and Nima suddenly crawled into the tent together and said seriously and solemnly, "Little boss, we will rush to Hillary Steps together tomorrow morning to complete the final laying work there. But the weather has changed, you can't go any further, even we can't be sure if we will come back alive."
Nima chimed in, "Young boss, if you wanted to see how we work, you've already seen it on the way here. Just wait patiently at the campsite tomorrow. We'll take you back down the mountain when we return, and then wait for the new window of opportunity to take you to the summit again. Don't worry, the money we gave you earlier is more than enough..."
Qingchen suddenly asked, "I'm very curious about something. The weather has clearly deteriorated, and a 'black storm' could reach Mount Everest at any moment, putting your lives in danger. Why do you still continue to pave the road? Can't you wait a little longer? Being so stubborn is tantamount to risking your own lives."
Mingma thought for a moment and replied, “This is our sacred mountain, and also our path. If we encounter danger while climbing, it will be the punishment from the gods, and the price of our greed. Our path is right here, and the inevitable hardships are merely tests to reach our destination. You city dwellers would never understand.”
Qing Chen seemed to understand: "I understand, you also have faith. Go ahead, I will wait for your return here."
Too many people show off their photos and certificates after summiting Mount Everest to the world, but they are just passersby. Only the Sherpas truly belong here.
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...
Countdown 18:00:00.
At 6 a.m., dozens of Sherpas knelt in the black blizzard, facing Mount Everest, praying for their gods' forgiveness and protection.
After getting up, they braved the blizzard and began their ascent to higher ground.
On the road, all the Sherpas remained silent. They knew exactly where they were; it was a road they had traveled countless times over the past ten years.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Mingma looked at the endless dark sky in the distance, and his mood gradually plummeted to the bottom, because his experience told him that this black storm might continue for more than ten hours.
If they fail to complete the Hillary Steps within 12 hours, half of the 81 Sherpas may be left forever on this sacred mountain.
Mingma bravely stood at the very front, driving in ground spikes and securing the safety rope.
However, at that moment, a gust of wind blew in, and Mingma, who was at the front of the group, lost her balance and was blown down onto the snow slope.
This snow slope has a 60-degree incline, and even ordinary off-road vehicles might not be able to make it up.
Mingma's tumbling body swept over two more tribesmen, and the three of them rolled down the mountain together.
The weight of the three people was too great, and the previously driven ground spikes could not support them at all. As a result, the safety rope snapped open one ground spike after another, pulling more and more Sherpas down with it.
Nima, who was in the middle of the group, pulled out a short knife from his waist. He knew what he should do at this moment.
They cut the safety rope, abandoning the 12 people in front of them, to save the more than 60 companions behind them!
Nima's face was covered in frost, and he hesitated to do it, but then Mingma's angry roar came from the wind: "Cut!"
Just as Nima was about to cut down, they suddenly heard the sound of spiked shoes stomping on the ground behind them, and the men who had rushed over knocked the knife out of Nima's hand.
Nima was stunned for a moment. He turned his head and saw that the small business owner had appeared there at some point. The man stomped his feet into the snow with great force, creating a hole deeper than a nail.
In an instant, Qingchen gripped the out-of-control safety rope tightly with both hands and roared furiously.
But then, the safety rope that was pulling the Sherpa down suddenly stopped. The boy seemed to be a god descending to earth, possessing immense strength, and turned the tide!
The boy was even more reckless in the raging snowstorm, the wind never stopping.
The flame patterns on the boy's face were like the only light source in this black storm, as if molten lava was flowing beneath his skin, bursting with the most primal power within the human body.
The rope rubbed against his palm, and the downward momentum continued.
With a roar, the boy suddenly clenched his fists, and the terrifying safety rope came to an abrupt halt in that instant!