Chinese Man with Polio Climbs One of China’s Great Mountains in the Snow

Wang Cunwei, a 33-year-old man from Feng county, Jiangsu province, China managed to climb one of the Five Great Mountains of China, located in Shandong province, over a period of 23 hours on Wednesday in an attempt to “show we disabled people can achieve what healthy people can,” according to Metropolis Morning News via South China Morning Post.

 

His ascent started at 9:30 a.m. from the Red Gate. Wang, who runs a China Mobile shop, was accompanied by three of his relatives in his quest to reach the top, who packed him 12 pairs of gloves, four sets of knee pads, and dozens of warming pads before his journey.

The climb proved to be quite difficult for Wang. It took him eight hours to reach a scenic viewpoint of Mount Tai, a spot most non-disabled people can reach in just an hour. But that didn’t stop him.

He continued his climb through the night and faced even more problems at sunrise, when it reportedly began to snow. Many tourists making the climb wear thick coats to protect them from the cold, but Wang did not bring any as he thought it would only slow his ascent.

Despite the cold, Wang continued to push through. Luckily, a tourist was touched by Wang’s determination and gave him his jacket.

“I felt much warmer afterwards, but then the coat became very heavy because of the snow,” Wang told reporters. “I had to take it off again to be light for climbing.”

Aside from his family, people who were also at the mountain showed their support for Wang during his climb.

“Many visitors encouraged me and helped me overcome difficulties,” he said.

After reaching the highest point of the mountain, the South Gate to Heaven, situated at 1,500 meters (4921 feet), his pants were already worn out at the knees, bottom, and waistline, while his elbows were swollen from the climb.

“We need to take a good rest after no rest for one day and one night,” Wang said.

Images screenshot via Pear Video