After more than 20 minutes of safe landing, China's "first person" flew to the top of the Earth: using a glider to take off from a snow capped mountain at an altitude of 8000 meters | Nepal | altitude
"Who is flying?"
"It's a Chinese person flying!"
On May 18th, when I saw a person flying a paraglider from Mount Everest, such conversations occasionally spread from the southern slope of the base camp on the Nepalese side of Mount Everest.
This person is Li Shengtao, a member of China's Bosideng 2023 Mount Everest Climbing Team. At 9:14 am local time on the 18th, Li Shengtao took off from the southern depression of Mount Everest at an altitude of 8000 meters using a single person unpowered glider. After more than 20 minutes of flight, he safely landed in the designated area near the headquarters on the southern slope of Mount Everest at an altitude of 5400 meters. This is the first paragliding flight approved by the Nepalese government on the southern slope of Mount Everest this year, and also the first successful paragliding flight by Chinese people at this altitude.
Li Shengtao, 38, lives in Xizang and is a paragliding coach. In order to complete his flight to Mount Everest, he has climbed several snow capped mountains in China and flown there in the past few years.
When he talked about why he had to take on this challenge, he recalled his first experience of learning paragliding.
In 2016, by chance, Li Shengtao went to Linzhou City, Henan Province to study paragliding. After only practicing for half a day, he was able to pilot a glider independently and fly into the sky. "At the moment of flying, I felt incredibly free." From then on, he planted the seed of flying on Mount Everest in his heart.
He returned from his studies and began to fly his own parachute in Xizang. In 2018, he opened the first paragliding base in Xizang in Yangzhuo Yongcuo Lake, giving more paragliding enthusiasts the opportunity to experience the charm of flying on the snow covered plateau.
Starting from 2019, in order to adapt to paragliding in high-altitude snow capped mountains, Li Shengtao climbed peaks such as Yuzhu Peak, Haba Snow Mountain, and Xuelapugangri Peak and attempted to fly.
Flying paragliders in high-altitude snow capped mountains is difficult. Pilots not only have to climb the mountain, but also carry dozens of pounds of supplies and parachute bags. Due to the unpredictable weather conditions at high altitudes, it may sometimes take several days to reach the summit before having a chance to parachute.
During his first parachute flight from Mount Yuzhu in 2019, Li Shengtao did not wait for the appropriate wind conditions to take off until his third summit. Due to the strong peak ultraviolet rays, the skin on the nose can even be peeled off as a whole when exposed to direct sunlight. But Li Shengtao said that at the moment of flying down, everything was worth it.
"Flying in the sky makes me feel calm, free, and unforgettable. In the sky, the direction is in my own hands," said Li Shengtao.
But paragliding in high-altitude snow capped mountains is also dangerous. Before each takeoff, Li Shengtao and his team must assess risks, continuously train and practice, and master first aid knowledge to minimize risks as much as possible.
In years of parachuting experience, Li Shengtao never felt scared before takeoff. "At the moment of takeoff, I was steadfast and happy. I believed in what I wanted to do, so I wouldn't hesitate or be afraid. If I wasn't steadfast, I wouldn't have taken off."
This flight of Mount Everest is also accompanied by this determination. On the morning of May 18th, Li Shengtao, who was resting and adjusting at the C4 camp located at an altitude of 8000 meters, seemed to hear the wind outside the tent decrease. But after being at an extremely high altitude for a long time, he couldn't believe his feelings and quickly ran outside the tent to observe. Sure enough, the wind had decreased. He quickly took action, completed the preparation work in just over ten minutes, took off firmly, and completed the challenge.
"As I was about to land, I circled around the base camp a few times. Later, my teammates told me that almost everyone in the tent ran out and asked, 'Who is flying?' Someone replied, 'It's Chinese people flying!' At that moment, I felt extremely proud and proud." Li Shengtao said.
"In the years I have been exposed to paragliding, it is flying that has allowed me to grow, constantly reshape myself, and become better." He said, "When flying, there are only mountains, umbrellas, and me. I hold onto the brake rope that controls my life, and drive my paraglider towards the life I long for, proving that I have come to this world and live it seriously."
