On the evening of October 19th, two groups of people climbed the Ice Crystal Peak in the Zhuque National Forest Park in Xi’an through a wild path, intending to see the sea of clouds the next morning. However, they encountered a sudden weather change along the way, leading to the tragic death of a couple and injuries to another person.
This incident has sparked widespread concern on the internet. According to a post by a Xi’an netizen in the early hours of October 21st, relatives of the deceased couple went to their home to pack up their belongings. Several other netizens posted that on the night of the 19th, “10 student climbers who braved the rain to ascend the Ice Crystal Peak called for rescue. When the rescue team arrived, it was confirmed that one female climber had tragically lost her life.”
Reported by Upstream News on the morning of the 21st, a relative of one of the victims stated that the deceased couple, both in their twenties and romantically involved, had been transported back to their hometown for burial.
A rescue team member revealed that a man and a woman had died from hypothermia on the Ice Crystal Peak Stone Sea Second Ridge after a rescue operation lasting over ten hours. Contrary to online rumors of 10 climbers in distress, it was actually two groups. One group consisted of 4 individuals, while the other group had approximately 10 members. The rescuers encountered the deceased female climber from the second group on their way up. They covered her with a raincoat before continuing the rescue effort.
It was indicated that the deceased couple had ventured out for an adventure, not from the designated tourist area but through a wild path to Ice Crystal Peak to witness the morning sea of clouds. They had some basic equipment but did not anticipate the sudden change in weather.
Another rescue team member disclosed that one of the victims had just turned 20 years old. The bodies of the couple were discovered at different locations on the Ice Crystal Peak, only hundreds of meters apart.
The Ice Crystal Peak is located at the highest point of the Zhuque National Forest Park in Xi’an, at an altitude of 3,015 meters. The peak is the highest east of Taibai Mountain, with temperatures significantly lower than the city. Snow accumulates on the mountaintop from mid to late November until early April the following year, with snow on shaded slopes lasting until mid to late April.
In a previous report, on April 30th, a 20-year-old university student from Jiangxi, Wang, went missing while night climbing in Qinling. Rescue teams found Wang’s body near Ice Crystal Peak several kilometers away on May 9th, speculating that he had slipped in the rain, leading to hypothermia and his unfortunate demise.
Hypothermia has three stages: mild, moderate, and severe. In moderate hypothermia, the body temperature drops to 28℃ to 32℃, causing increased muscle incoordination, slower and more difficult movements, unsteadiness in gait, confusion in direction, and abnormal behavior like disrobing.
In severe hypothermia, the core body temperature drops below 28°C, resulting in loss of consciousness, slowed breathing and heart rate, low blood pressure, stiffened muscles, ventricular fibrillation, and the imminent risk of cardiac arrest.