Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness Chapter 407

Chapter 407: 405

I'm saving a spot, brothers.

I've had quite a few banquets in the past two days.

I haven't finished writing yet, I'll be revising at dawn, it's practically theft-proofing.

“OK, hurry over, no problem,”

Bi Fang smoothly slid to the other side and waved at his companions behind him.

“MY GOD.” Jerret arrived at the edge of the crevasse and just as he looked down, his legs went soft and his hands began to rapidly cross himself in front of his chest.

“Come on, don't be afraid, look, the rope is very securely nailed and there's a safety line. Even if you let go, you won't fall down, as long as you move properly,” said Bi Fang, shaking the rope vigorously, while the long nail in the ground didn't move an inch.

Every climbing season, the Sherpa people would repair the glacier paths, set up ladders, drill holes in the glacier, hammer in spikes as long as a forearm, and attach ropes to help climbers cross. This was their source of income and their job. Almost every year, someone would die doing this.

Here, the Sherpa people were almost considered a consumable.

Trembling, Jerret wrapped the safety rope around himself and tied it. Looking into the bottomless abyss, his brain felt even more deprived of oxygen. Grabbing the ascender, Yao Jun saw this and gave him a push.

“Ah!!!”

“Alright, you've made it, stop yelling. A little noise could really bring down an avalanche and then we'd be in trouble.”

“Ah, uh, hmm?” Jerret blankly opened his eyes and stepped on the solid ice, feeling rather surreal.

Looking back at the glacier, Jerret suddenly felt a sense of pride. Khumbu Glacier, is just like this, huh? Close your eyes and open them, and isn't that it, you've crossed it?

When the rest of the people gradually made it over, Rob finally exhaled and clapped his hands, “Okay, that was the first glacier we've crossed. Simple, but there are hundreds, maybe thousands more waiting for us! Let's not let our guard down!”

Hundreds, thousands?

“Is there really no other way?” Jerret ran over and grabbed Bi Fang's arm.

“No, there isn't, look over there,” Bi Fang pointed. Not too far away stood towering hanging glaciers and the faintly visible Nuzi Peak and the massive Mount Everest. Just the thought of climbing these peaks was enough to feel an immense pressure, “Those hanging glaciers, Nuzi Peak and Mount Everest are too close to us. The snow above is so thick that any slight vibration could cause it to collapse. So next time, try not to shout. If you can bear it, bear it. It's dangerous, and it can trigger an avalanche.”

Jerret: “o(╥﹏╥)o”

[Jerret: Grandpa De, I'm stunned]

[The fake Khumbu Glacier, a big crevasse with no bottom in sight, the real Khumbu Glacier, like this, Grandpa De still has hundreds, maybe thousands!]

[I also thought Khumbu Glacier was just this one crevasse, and I was really curious why so many people died here… With so many deaths, shouldn't the crevasse be filled by now…]

[Glacier: I'm Already Filled]

[Huh?]

[No, that's not right. If the glacier moves every day, don't the Sherpa people have to come up for maintenance every day?]

“In theory, yes, but in practice, it's extremely difficult. So, many times climbers will encounter situations with no path. At those times, we have to set up ladders ourselves. Do you see my backpack?”

Bi Fang set down his backpack for everyone to see. The group was shocked to find a long, telescopic ladder stuffed between the straps and layers of the pack, which explained why the whole thing looked so rigid and straight!

“This is a telescopic ladder. When collapsed, it's only one meter long, but when extended, it's actually four meters. If we encounter places with no path, we need to set up the ladder to cross them. Because it's not fixed, that's where the real danger lies.”

“Mount Everest's requirements for gear are extremely, extremely high. Many parts even require aerospace-grade materials. Take this ordinary-looking climbing ladder, for example; first, it has to work in extremely low temperatures. You must know that many types of steel become brittle at low temperatures. For instance, Q345E can only withstand impacts at minus 40 degrees Celsius, any lower and it would become brittle and unusable, while the lowest temperatures on Everest can approach minus fifty degrees! So, I chose aluminum which has better resistance to low temperatures.”

Bi Fang paused to catch his breath before continuing, “The second point is to reduce weight as much as possible while guaranteeing structural strength, so titanium is not an option either. Titanium is almost twice the weight of aluminum, and the specific strength of aluminum is sufficiently high. Third, is the design of the structure; the more complex a design, the easier it's likely to break. Even a telescopic design can become a fatal factor in Everest's conditions, so the design of the connections has to be as simple as possible.”

Besides the ticket, gear is also one of the major expenses. Just one oxygen bottle, including transportation fees for the high altitude, can cost up to 500 Ugly Yuan. Many people's salaries for a month might not even afford them one breath of it on Everest.

Then there are the down jackets with a windproof and waterproof outer layer that must remain soft in extreme cold and as light as possible. The zipper design requires a full adhesive tape to ensure it's waterproof and can be opened and closed smoothly even with thick gloves on; the filling should be duck down or goose down with about 90% fill power to cope with strong winds and temperatures below minus 30°C.

“There are also climbing boots designed specifically for altitudes above 8000 meters. The pair I'm wearing weighs 1413 grams… whereas a pair of running shoes is usually around 300g, and normal outdoor climbing boots are typically 500-800g. Because freezing injuries are a serious concern when climbing snowy mountains, many climbers have to undergo amputation after coming down the mountain, it's because their limbs have been frostbitten to death. The warmth provided by the boots must be top-notch. My pair is less a pair of boots and more a boot system that combines an outer boot, an inner boot, a gaiter, insoles, and an outer sole. This makes them completely unable to bend like regular shoes, and it feels like your feet and lower legs are firmly encased.”

Bi Fang lifted up his pant leg and showed off his thick boots to everyone. They were essentially an enlarged, heavily padded version of snow boots, and their flexibility was poor—but that was a necessary sacrifice to ensure adequate warmth.

In his previous life, Grandpa De had to amputate because he didn't have adequate protection from the severe cold during a survival situation, leading to his toes dying. Bi Fang watched at the time with his eyelids twitching uncontrollably as he saw the entire toe swollen to an extreme from the cold.

“Frostbite starts with the cold, and as the tissue gradually dies, you begin to feel pain, sharp pain, because the fluids in your tissue are freezing and your blood turns into ice crystals that rupture the cell membranes, blowing the cells apart. It's an irreversible process by that time. Even if you recover, the cells cannot regain vitality. At this stage, it's still reversible; your cells can still reproduce. But when the damage is too severe, to the point where even the nerves are affected, amputation is necessary. Your toes are at that point irreparably dead, just pieces of frozen flesh attached to your body. Once you return to a warm place, they will decompose, and if not removed, your entire right leg or even your life would be threatened.”

Yao Jun was intently listening to all of this, but as he did, he suddenly felt a chill in his toes. He looked down and thankfully his own toes were still there.

Damn it, that's amputation you're talking about. Could you not mention it so casually?

“However, there's no road longer than the journey on foot, and no mountain taller than the will of a person. Except for high altitudes and the Arctic and Antarctic, normally wearing all of this would indeed smother someone to death.”

Bi Fang smiled, stepped over a small crack that was only half a meter wide. It seemed freshly formed, still quite young—perhaps in ten years' time, it could grow into a large glacier.

[Tell me how much all this gear costs so I can give up now.]

[I found the same model on Amazon… six thousand dollars…]

[Just under forty thousand, hmm, that's cheaper than I thought.]

[A big spender has arrived!]

[Deliveries under Big Ben, set it up below, ship it from the top.]

[Learned something new. I've discovered one of Master Fang's hidden professions, Material Mechanics! Taking notes in my little book, Astronomer, Zoologist… add Material Scientist.]

[So, what else doesn't Master Fang know? Spill it all at once and enlighten me.]

Bi Fang smiled, “There's a lot I don't know, actually. For instance, why ice is so slippery.”

Why is ice so slippery?

Master Fang doesn't know?

Question marks appeared on the faces of the viewers. Are you joking?

Tony thought this was an overly simple question because it's ice, so of course it's slippery. But when Master Fang said it, it somehow didn't seem that straightforward. Tony looked up at Peter, his buddy whom he hadn't seen in a while.

“Peter, why is ice so slippery?”

Biting on his pen, Peter had not heard a word Tony said. Ever since Master Fang had given him some encouragement last time, his mind had been elsewhere, busy with his outdoor research, and he hadn't been watching Master Fang's live streams much.

He had even gone so far as to create a website about migratory birds. Although the traffic wasn't high yet, it was a good start. He had also made contact with bird conservation organizations, keeping it constantly updated.

The migratory birds were due to return this year pretty soon, and a large flock was already on their way. Eh, hopefully, things will go more smoothly this time. Those damned poachers should have been wiped out long ago.

“Peter? Peter!”

“Uh, hmm?” After a few calls from Tony, Peter suddenly snapped back to attention, realizing his friend was talking to him.

“What's going on?”

Supporting his forehead with his hand, Tony said, “What's with you lately? I remember how you used to love watching god fang's live streams. You've hardly been online to fangirl over the last two. It's not right, really not right. You're not in love, are you? Is it Mary from class three or Gwendolyn next door? It's not Mary, is it? But she's too sly for you… you probably can't handle her…”

Peter twitched the corner of his mouth. What was all this about? His relationship with Mary was purely friendly. They were all goose enthusiasts and there was nothing more to it.

That's right, he had an album to give to her. He would have forgotten if Tony hadn't mentioned it. He'd deliver it to Mary tonight after Tony left. She seemed to have a cold and probably shouldn't be going out. She really should drink more hot water.

“Hey, hey? Why are you spacing out again?” Tony waved his hand in front of Peter's eyes.

“Ah, sorry, what was it?”

“Why is ice so slippery?” Biting his finger, Peter hesitated before responding, “Because it's ice?”

“Idiot!”

[Because this shit is an unsolved mystery in the world!]

[Really? An unsolved mystery?]

[Isn't it because the surface is smooth?]

Bi Fang laughed heartily but then suddenly coughed a couple of times.

Damn, he was starting to feel a lack of oxygen too.

“If anyone is interested in this question, you can search it up online. But indeed, this thing is an unsolved mystery. Ice is slippery because there's a layer of water film on its surface that acts like lubricant. Moreover, no matter how low the temperature gets, this water film always exists, but its molecular structure isn't like ordinary water. As to why, the scientific community really doesn't know to this day.”

“When traversing a broken glacier and you come upon a crevasse you need to step over, try to place the front of your high-altitude boots against the edge of the crevasse, clearly observe the opposite edge, and step over in one big stride without hesitation. It's also best to tie everyone up with a rope so if someone accidentally falls into the crevasse, they can be pulled up, avoiding any danger. However, this requires a high degree of execution in the team; otherwise, a 'one pulls many' situation could arise, making it impossible to pull anyone up.”

Everyone continued half an hour more, constantly stepping over various large and small crevasses.

The viewers in the live stream were all holding their breath in terror, especially as more and more types of glaciers appeared as they moved on.

Not all glaciers can easily be crossed with a single rope. Bi Fang is climbing, not descending, and these types of glaciers represent only a tiny fraction. Most of them are high in the front and low at the back, and you can't just descend using a rope. You need to pull yourself up using the rope as if climbing a giant's staircase.

If there's a crevasse underneath, that's even more dangerous. Two sections of a ladder tied together, with each end resting on something. People climb from below, hoping that their teammates are reliable enough to steady them.

In such situations, Bi Fang always went up first. This was the most dangerous part because you don't know if the ropes tied to the ladder above have loosened. Once Bi Fang got up, he could double-check and reinforce everything.

“My life is in your hands now, steady the ladder for me.”

“Don't worry.” Yao Jun gave a thumbs up. “I can pee against the wind three meters out without leaning on a wall, let alone steady you!”

Bi Fang scolded with a laugh and placed his backpack on the ground.

“When climbing a ladder, it's best to go up lightly equipped for more stability. Once you're up, the backpack can be pulled up with a rope. This is a bit more troublesome, but it's safer.”

Lightweight due to the equipment, plus the ladder fashioned from two ladders bound together, swayed precariously in the cold wind, constantly shaking.

As Bi Fang set foot on it and came directly above the abyss, the drone also arrived overhead.

At an altitude close to six thousand meters, plus the chilling wind, even the drone was shaky, its trembling lens increasing the tension and fear of the entire endeavor.

On the swaying long ladder above the abyss, Bi Fang walked alone, suspended between sky and earth, advancing towards the snowy mountains.

Suddenly, Yao Jun let out a big sneeze, and the ladder jerked violently.

Bi Fang immediately hugged the ladder tightly while Yao Jun realized his blunder and hurriedly steadied it, but before the ladder was stable, Yao Jun's mouth opened wide, emitting a heaving sound inadvertently.

Amidst the howling cold wind, a strange noise intermingled.

Bi Fang gripped the ladder and scanned the surroundings; he sensed danger, a cold chill running down his spine. The ladder beneath him began to tremble—not the oscillation from the wind but a tremor!

The tremors grew stronger, and the freshly fallen snow started to slide sibilantly across the ice. Everyone sensed the oddity and looked around nervously.

“Avalanche! Rob! It's an avalanche!”

Bi Fang pointed at the snow peak above and bellowed.

Chapter end

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