At the foot of Hada Muzidaka Sakamoto, mountaineers could see that it had begun to snow on the mountain. Erratic climate changes are typical in Hada Muzidaka, the boundary between North and South Xinjiang. As the weather had deteriorated, SPW decided to withdraw to the camp for the sake of time and safety. As a leader, his greatest duty is to ensure "safety". "Safety is the foundation of all, and taking risks is not the true meaning of the outdoor treks. Bringing everyone out of the mountains safely is the responsibility of trek team leaders," he explained.

　　On the way back, a mountaineer picked up a pack of about 2-pound cabbage, which was left by other teams. It is common for mountaineers to reduce the burden of their load by discarding thing. "There are mountaineers who would give up their pots, burners, tents, or even cameras on the way," SPW told TMTPost.

　　Whether to torture or relax oneself, some people do get addicted to Xinjiang treks. The mountaineers SPW’s team encountered on their way back had gone on mountaineering for more than once in Xinjiang. They decided to take a panoramic picture during the rest.

　　It was still early before darkness befell when SPW brought several mountaineers back to the camp. After missing the Muzalt glaciers, SPW decided to break the camp and camp near another glacier, the "Xiate glacier". On their way to the new camp, SPW and collaborators were building a “stone bridge” for other mountaineers.

　　On the morning of May 2nd, the snow stopped. When mountaineers went out of the tent, they could see the shining sun in the distant snow-capped mountains, as if they were in a fairy tale world. It always makes people excited when they can see the sun in a world of ice and snow.

　　SPW led the team and resumed their journey to Xiate glacier with light loads.

　　After two hours of trek, they reached the tongue of Xiate glacier. When some members wanted to go to the glacier, they were immediately stopped by SPW, since it could be very dangerous to walk on the glacier tongue, especially when the glacier was covered with snow. Oftentimes, the snow would hide the deep ice crack in the glacier underneath glaciers. These cracks will move along with climate change, so mountaineers might lose their lives if they accidentally stepped on the ice crack.

　　Just half an hour after the team arrived at the Xiate glacier, SPW was informed that the weather was worsening and it was better if everybody went back to the headquarter. After another two hours of trek, they all returned to the camp safe and sound.

　　SPW began to contact the vehicle through the satellite phone to have cars pick up mountaineers. Outdoors weather is always fickle. Soon after they arrived at the camp, the snow storm quickly dispersed and the weather turned fine. Erratic weather changes could have fatal consequences sometimes. "Nobody shall take a chance. Never think that you are strong and be over-confident. Your life is not your own. To better reflect the outdoor spirit, mountaineers have got to cherish their own lives,” he explained.

　　Along the way, the team's collaborators were always collecting cigarette butts. "No littering and all the garbage must be carried out of the mountain," this is an important rule in outdoor treks.

　　After a short break from the Xiate glacier, the team broke the camp and walked for about another four hours. Finally, they walked out of the mountains at 20:30.

　　Without any injury, the prime time of an outdoor trek team leader is only about ten years. SPW was already 44 years old, not a young age in the circle. He told TMTPost that he’d participated in many years of formal training to learn necessary outdoor knowledge, so that when he could not lead teams anymore, he could get involved in route planning and outdoor trek coach training, etc., share his expertise and years of outdoor experience with other mountaineering enthusiasts, help people understand the risks of outdoor treks and learn how to better protect themselves in outdoor activities.

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