Meet Zhang Hong, the first blind Asian mountaineer to successfully climb Mount Everest
- The 46-year-old recalled ‘humbly embracing being part of mother nature’ after reaching the 8,849-metre summit
- Zhang to focus attention on climbing the world’s remaining highest peaks – ‘this is only the beginning’

There is not a challenge on this planet too great for Zhang Hong, who became the first Asian person who is blind to scale Mount Everest on Monday.
The 46-year-old Chongqing native from southwest China, who is the third visually impaired mountaineer to complete the 8,849 metre-high Himalayan feat, described the feeling of euphoria after reaching the world’s highest summit.
“Though I’m blind, I’ve always felt I could face any challenge in my life,” Zhang said upon returning to base camp alongside mountain guide Quang Zi and native Sherpas Lhakpa Sherpa, Dawa Wongchu Sherpa and Samden Bhote.
“When I’m in the mountains, I’m in awe of nature although I still can’t see. Overcoming the death zone and the summit made me want to humbly embrace being part of mother nature.”

Zhang spent much of the journey holding on to Qiang’s arm as the pair shared an ice pick. The pair recalled the most tiresome and risky areas were the so-called “death zones”, ice-walls and icefalls at around 8,000 metres. Qiang even gave up his own oxygen tank so that Zhang could finish the final parts.
“It was scary. I thought I was ready but when I arrived in Nepal for training, Qiang told me I wasn’t,” Zhang said. “I didn’t believe him at first but I soon realised things could get dangerous once we did the ice-climbing amid a snowstorm. I cried during the first trip to base because it was much harder than I expected.