Tang Ling, a female member of the Hunan Mountaineering Team, reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma, a height of 8,848.86 meters, from the northern slope at 10:35 a.m. on May 24, after her 47-day arduous climbing endeavors.

She was hence the first mountaineer from Hunan Province who has conquered Mount Qomolangma from both the southern and northern slopes. She scaled this peak from the southern slope in 2023.

Tang Ling reaches the summit of Mount Qomolangma from the northern slope at 10:35 a.m. on May 24, 2025.

The northern slope of Mount Qomolangma is renowned for its volatile weather, oxygen-deprived environment, and precipitous terrain. The "second step" at a height of 8,700 meters is an almost vertical wall of several meters and extremely difficult to climb.

During her ascent, Tang Ling endured blizzards, gale-force winds, and extreme temperatures plunging to minus 40 degree Celsius. She overcame all these formidable challenges and obstacles with extraordinary resilience and determination.

Born in Changsha in 1983, Tang currently works as a senior manager in a company. She joined the Hunan Mountaineering Team in 2023. This team is China's first provincial-level mountaineering team with a goal of completing the "7+2 Global Adventure Grand Slam"—scaling the highest peaks on all seven continents and hiking to both the North and South Poles.

Tang Ling reaches the summit of Mount Qomolangma from the southern slope in 2023.

In May 2023, the Hunan Mountaineering Team scaled Mount Qomolangma, the highest peak in both Asia and the world. In December 2024, they conquered Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. On May 30, the team will depart for Russia to climb Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunantoday