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Since primary school, my mother has taken me everywhere to hike, camp, ski, climb mountains, and participate in various outdoor adventures, which nurtured my perchant for getting away from the city and returning to nature. That day in the school classroom, a few students casually said, "Let's go hiking on the National Day!" This was the beginning of our unforgettable journey to the snowy mountains. 

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At 9:00am on 30th September, after a bumpy journey, we finally arrived at the Four Girls Mountains scenic spot and saw the long-awaited big snow mountain. With apprehension and excitement, our small group of friends signed the mountaineering danger acknowledgment form. Facing the possibility of high altitude sickness, lack of oxygen, lack of energy or tinnitus, we all made up our minds that no matter how many difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, we will do our best to enjoy this journey of challenging ourselves!

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We were all exhilarated to be on the road, taking a picture of every rock we passed. To 11 o'clock at noon, we arrived at the first stop - 3400 metres above sea level in Hazigou. At this time, we started to experience dizziness, and some of us hopped on horses to get some rest. But as early as the beginning of my determination, I must be on foot to complete the challenge, never use any walking tools. After another round of endurance sprints, I insisted on measuring the ups and downs of the mountainous terrain with my feet, and became the only girl who completed challenge without the help of a horse. Looking at the beautiful scenery and breathtaking mountain views along the way, my inner fortitude and hard work were slowly being smoothed out.

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At 1:30pm, after 9.5km of hiking, we finally arrived at our second stop, the 3,719m Tatianbao Conservation Station, where we were treated to a 15 RMB bucket of overpriced noodles. At this station, we had a second and final opportunity to ride a horse. Although I was very tired, looking at the mountain peaks that were getting closer and closer, and looking back at the footsteps that I had just trekked step by step, I once again resolved to refuse the temptation to walk the whole way myself. By now, there were only 3 people left in the trekking group, and the second half of the trail was obviously more difficult than the first. With creeks, rocks, muddy ground, and cliffs that were a million feet deep if you stepped on them, I gathered my gear and continued.

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The higher we climbed, the network and all the signals gradually disappeared, but the small speakers I brought with me were of great use at this time, and during the break, we sang Sunflower with enthusiasm, which instantly turned the snowy mountains into a mobile karaoke venue, and brought me back to vigor and excitement. 

The famous British writer Shakespeare said, "The failure of countless people is to do things not thoroughly, often to do just one step away from success to stop." Looking at the top of the mountain which looked so close, my heart cannot help but feel lonesome. just at this moment, the tour guide began to encourage us, "everyone cheer quickly climb! Otherwise we cannot catch up with dinner, eat hot pot cackle." Sure enough, there is nothing that cannot be solved by a hot pot, if so, then come to two. Finally, after 5.5 kilometres and 4 hours of hiking, at 5:42 pm, we arrived at the base camp of Dafeng, and as we wished, we ate hot pot in the snowy mountain at an altitude of 4,379 metres.

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On 1st October 2023, at 6:25 am, we finally arrived safely at the summit of Dafeng Mountain, which is 5,025 metres above sea level! On my country's 74th birthday, I wore the ISA Wuhan school flag and the national flag, letting my mountaineering spirit flutter with them at the summit. The snow-capped mountains that I once thought could only appear in my dreams were now wrapped in a sea of clouds and appeared at my feet. In this mountaineering challenge, I was the only girl who successfully climbed to the top of the mountain without using trekking poles and relying on any walking tools, one step at a time, and I was also called "Spider-Man" by my companions, which made me full of motivation to walk on this mountaineering journey with no end in sight and full of unknowns.

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This National Day holiday hiking and climbing journey with my classmates has given me a very memorable experience in my life. Studying in ISA Wuhan not only allowed me to make many like-minded friends, but also enabled me to be more internally driven to discover the wonders of the world, to strive to be the best version of myself in the face of difficulties and challenges, and I hope to use the knowledge I have learnt and harvested from the textbooks in school to bring inspiration and help to more people. In the future, I hope to set up a mountaineering expedition team in the school and actively promote the concept of environmental protection both inside and outside the school, just like the school flag flying on the 5000 metres snow-covered mountains, so that the spirit of ISA Wuhan School will live on in heaven and earth, and even more so in my heart.