Daily Evolution from Mastering Tai Chi-Chapter 218 - 205: Arrival at the Mount Everest Base Camp (2)

Even after arriving at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, and meeting up with the guide company, it usually takes several more days and nights, by car and on foot, to reach the camp at 6000 meters altitude on Mount Everest.

But Wang Ye and his group had purchased the most luxurious package,

which was several times more expensive than the guide packages other tourists bought.

So the entire journey required only a fast pass by helicopter.

Until they reached the base camp at 6000 meters elevation, where helicopters could no longer operate. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

They truly began their trekking ascent.

Thus, although Mount Everest's 8848-meter altitude sounds intimidating, almost six thousand meters are accessible by vehicle or helicopter. That's why many short video platforms show influencers, even without any outdoor trekking experience and weak physiques, reaching Everest's 6000 meters altitude. For those affluent individuals, as long as their bodies can withstand the high-altitude reactions at 8848 meters, they can simply hire several Sherpas to carry them to the summit of Everest.

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Given the distant journey.

Wang Ye couldn't practice the Innate Skill.

During the nearly 24-hour journey.

Wang Ye could only fully concentrate on practicing his Light Body Technique.

Though it was called practice, it was essentially maintaining a constant lightened state.

With his current Innate Qi Amount, he could already reduce his weight by 100 kilograms.

Thus, after activating a constant light body state, his weight was reduced to about 30 kilograms.

Roughly equivalent to the weight of a ten-year-old child.

But maintaining this constant state consumes Innate Qi very heavily.

Maintaining it for four to five hours would deplete his body.

So throughout the journey, Wang Ye either maintained the light body state or was restoring his Innate Qi.

The skill level of the Light Body Technique also increased slowly on the panel.

Though still quite a distance from a breakthrough.

There was nothing else Wang Ye could do but practice the Light Body Technique.

Finally.

After a long ordeal, Wang Ye and his party arrived in Kathmandu.

And met with the people from the guide company outside the airport.

After handing his luggage to the company leader.

Wang Ye began to eagerly take in the cultural sights around him.

Strictly speaking, this was actually Wang Ye's first time traveling abroad.

Previously, whether family trips or company retreats, his travels were no farther than outside the province, never abroad.

So this trip felt incredibly novel to him. The sensation filled with a strong sense of unfamiliarity and wonder was truly fascinating.

Kathmandu, abbreviated as Ka Du, is the capital and largest city of Nepal, surrounded by mountains. It was founded in 723 AD, making it a city with over 1200 years of history.

Despite being the national capital closest to Everest, the natural barrier of the Himalayas shields it from cold winds, and it faces warm currents from the Indian Ocean on the south, making it a very warm city.

The streets are mostly filled with passersby in short sleeves.

And for a city rich in historical sites, Hindu and Buddhist temples are everywhere, with numerous temples and Buddha Statues visible, as well as red-robed practitioners, exuding a strong Buddhist atmosphere.

Most women here wear red and black patterned saris, and the streets are filled with the intense scent of Indian incense. There are children spinning prayer wheels everywhere, vendors selling fruit, Nepalese Thangka paintings, and papyrus, exuding a rich medieval air.

The guide leader, who looked to be in his thirties or forties, noticed Wang Ye's interest in the local cultural sights. He didn't mind speaking in his rough Chinese, telling Wang Ye about various local buildings.

After all, Wang Ye and his party paid the highest fees.

And among them, Wang Ye was clearly the most prominent member.

They had every reason to provide Wang Ye with meticulous service.

Wang Ye wandered the streets of Kathmandu for about five hours, tasting some local snacks.

Only then did he tire of it.

Then the leader took them to the company.

After resting for a night in their accommodation.

They took a helicopter to Everest's base camp.

After several hours of flying,

Wang Ye and his group finally descended onto the helipad at 5200 meters altitude at the base camp.

Upon arrival at the base camp, the temperature dropped to around 5 degrees.

Since it was late summer, the temperature at Everest Base Camp wasn't too low. A thin layer of cold-proof clothing was enough to ward off the chill, but the temperature difference between day and night was large, making nights very cold and requiring stays inside tents.

Once at the base camp, Wang Ye and his group engaged in monotonous acclimatization training. Nearly every day they had to follow the leader in basic training, such as hiking back and forth on the Kumbu Glacier, as a basic training for adapting to the cold high-altitude environment.

As time went on, some members of the team began to cough violently.

This was because, under high-altitude reactions, many people showed symptoms of pulmonary edema.

Causing incessant coughing as a result.

Also, the oxygen in the air at 5200 meters altitude was already very thin.

Most people's breathing was short and vigorous, and even slight exertion could cause symptoms of oxygen deprivation. Additionally, breathing cold air felt really uncomfortable, nearly filling the nose, trachea, and lungs with cold air. Furthermore, many ordinary people staying in cold air and low-pressure environments for long periods would develop headaches. This kind of headache was more severe than any head injury, making nearly impossible sleep every night.

Even Li Weimin, with some athletic background, after a few days at the base camp, started showing mild pulmonary edema symptoms, with daily nosebleeds and blood coughing, looking like he might not live much longer. He kept muttering: why the hell did I come along to risk my life...

Compared to Li Weimin, the health status of the other employees responsible for filming and promoting wasn't much better.

But Wang Ye was different.

Staying in this environment posed no pressure for him.

Throughout the training period at the base camp, he continued maintaining his level of training each day.

Every night, he would quietly run dozens of kilometers around the base camp.

If those Sherpa leaders saw this sight, they would probably be shocked.

In such oxygen-deprived conditions, how could someone perform high-intensity aerobic training?

What kind of turbocharged lungs was this?

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At night.

Several Sherpa leaders gathered around a boiler to chat.

"I don't know why, but that team member named Wang Ye sits over there before five a.m. to meditate in the sun until eight, then comes back to train with us," one leader said as he lifted the lid and stirred the sticky substance in the boiler with a spoon.

"Afraid of the cold?" another short leader responded.

Shaking his head, the leader said, "Impossible. If he were afraid of the cold, he'd hide in a tent. Why endure the cold wind outside?"

"Is it Chinese Martial Arts?" the short leader guessed, rubbing his chin. "I heard some Chinese martial arts require training at sunrise every morning."

Puzzled, the leader asked, "Why train at dawn?"

The short leader scratched his head and said, "To absorb the first ray of purple Qi from the sunrise?"

Frowning, the initial leader said, "Indeed, this guy has an excellent physical condition, never having any problems during training, and has been here at the base camp for over five days with no sign of altitude sickness. His breathing always remains calm."

"The key is, this guy often takes off his clothes when sunbathing."

"Takes off his clothes?"

"Takes off his clothes in minus temperatures before dawn???