Guanghao Li

Guanghao Li

🏔️Gangshka

Gangshka Panorama
🏔️ Panorama of Gangshka Snow Peak
Image Source: Original Website
The Overall Map

Topographic visualization of the Gangshka Snow Peak expedition. Located in Menyuan County, Qinghai, Gangshka serves as the eastern termination of the Qilian Mountains. The area features complex glacial terrain, with the Main Peak (5254.5m) and the Third Peak (5005m) being the primary summits.

  • 🔴 Red Track (Main Peak): Our autonomous climbing route (self-planned). This challenging path culminates in a direct ascent of a 600m ice wall with a gradient of 60°–70°.
  • 🔵 Blue Track (Third Peak): The commercial route guided by a climbing club. The final summit push involves a 150m steep slope at an inclination of approximately 70°.

🏔️ The Raw Reality of Autonomous Alpinism: A 30km Saga on Gangshka Main Peak

Toasting with Coke at camp
▲ A fleeting moment of celebration at the -30°C camp.
Breaking glacial ice for water
▲ Breaking glacial river ice for vital water supply.

Expedition Overview: A four-person, self-supported autonomous climb spanning 2 days and 1 night, covering over 30km with a self-designed partial route on December 23, 2025. We camped in snow at -30°C and encountered rare wildlife including a snow leopard and Pallas's cats (manuls).

⚠️ The Untold "Bizarre and Near-Death" Story

The photos above represent the few calm moments. The expedition later descended into chaos involving a tent fire, severe altitude sickness, collective hallucinations, and intense team conflict. Due to these critical situations and "human factors," footage of our roped ice wall ascent exists but remains inaccessible.

"Perhaps I will write down this bizarre saga in the future. It was extremely dangerous, but the surreal thrill and raw intensity of autonomous climbing are unforgettable."

🏔️ The Brutal Enchantment: Summiting Gangshka Third Peak in Deep Winter

The Third Peak Summit
▲ Summit moment at -40°C
Snow Fox encounter
▲ Encounter with a wild Snow Fox

Expedition Log: The journey began on December 28, 2025, hiking 4km into Base Camp (4300m). Unfortunately, severe altitude sickness made sleep impossible that night. Fighting exhaustion, the summit push started at 3:00 AM on December 29. After a grueling 4-hour ascent battling temperatures dropping to -40°C, I successfully reached the summit of the Third Peak at 7:05 AM.

🥶 Behind the Summit Photo: A 60-Second Summit

At the summit, ferocious winds compounded the -40°C cold. To capture this single photograph, I momentarily removed my three layers of head protection (fleece hat, cotton hat, and hard shell hood). The reaction was instantaneous. In mere seconds, the moisture on the hats froze them completely stiff, and sharp ice crystals instantly formed on my ears and nose. Recognizing the immediate danger of frostbite, I forced the rigid gear back onto my head and rapidly descended to escape the wind zone. My total time on the summit was less than one minute.

"Winter mountaineering is brutally mesmerizing."