A teen's quest to summit the world

At 18, Xu Zhuoyuan pushes the boundaries of mountaineering, inspiring a new generation of female adventurers.

In May 2023, on the eve of her summit attempt on Mount Qomolangma (Mount Everest),16-year-old Xu Zhuoyuan encountered a fierce snowstorm during her ascent.

Howling winds and heavy snowfall relentlessly battered her team, and her oxygen mask kept freezing. Despite her stiff fingers, icy eyelashes, and frozen hair, Xu reached the summit at 5:46 am the following day, making her the youngest Chinese woman to conquer the world's highest peak from the southern slope.

"Standing on the same ridge my father climbed 16 years ago from the northern slope felt like a meeting across time and space," recalled Xu, now 18 and in her third year of high school.