Wikipedia

Chang Yuan-chih

Chang Yuan-chih (Chinese: 張元植; October 24, 1988 – June 27, 2024) was a Taiwanese professional mountaineer, mountain guide and manager of Chiaming Mountain House. He pioneered many technical climbing and mountain exploration routes in Taiwan, and co-sponsored the first winter climb of K2, the world's second-highest peak.[4] He climbed Broad Peak at the age of 25, becoming the second youngest climber in Taiwan to climb an 8,000-meter peak.[5][6]

Chang Yuan-chih
張元植
Chang in 2022
Born
張元植

(1988-10-24)October 24, 1988[1]
Taipei, Taiwan
DiedJune 27, 2024(2024-06-27) (aged 35)[2][3]
North Face of Aiguille du Midi, Haute-Savoie, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France
Cause of deathMountaineering accident
Alma materTunghai University
Occupation(s)mountaineer, mountain guide

Background

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Chang Yuan-chih was born in Taipei in 1988. After graduating from Wei-Ge Elementary School, his mother sent him to a comprehensive high school in Miaoli to receive extra-curricular education. At age 13, he began climbing. As a junior high school student, he climbed Yu Shan and Mount Dabajian, some of Taiwan's highest mountains.[7] After completing the General Scholastic Ability Test in 2007, he and his schoolmate Huang Shao-Ting climbed Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America.[8] In 2009, they completed the Taiwan Central Mountain Trail. He went on to Tunghai University and graduated with a degree in sociology. After his studies, Chang went on to manage the Forestry Administration's Chiaming Lake Mountain Lodge, and coach mountaineers.[9][10]

In 2012, Chang and five of his friends participated in the Mongol Rally, driving a small car across 14 countries in Eurasia in 40 days, covering a total distance of 13,000 kilometers. This was the first time a Taiwanese team participated in this event.[11]

Climbing

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Alpine climbing

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On July 24, 2014, Chang climbed Broad Peak, without oxygen.[12][13][14] In 2017, he reached 7,400 meters up the world's eighth highest peak, Manaslu, without oxygen, but had to descend before reaching the summit due to altitude sickness.

On May 15, 2019, Chang summited Makalu, the fifth highest peak in the world.[15] On July 17 of the same year, he was part of the first Taiwanese team to attempt K2. Due to poor conditions near the summit, Chang retreated at an altitude of 8,200 meters and did not reach the summit.[16][17]

On February 10, 2020, he and a climbing partner challenged the cliffs of Zhenshan in Wanrong Township. Due to heavy fog, they became trapped on the cliffs and were eventually being rescued by the National Airborne Service Corps.[18]

Notable climbs

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  • August 18, 2021: Climbed the new route (YDS 5.9) on the east face of Yushan East Peak with Zhang Guowei, 5 pitches.
  • October 9, 2021: Successfully climbed the South Face of Mount Dajian (YDS 5.10d) from Mount Taimu with Huang Yuanwei, Lin Mingqi, and Shen Hongying, 5 rope pitches.[19]
  • October 19, 2021: Climbed the new route of the north face of Yushan East Peak with Yang Chuihao (YDS 5.8), 450 meters, 11 rope pitches.[20]
  • December 2023: Climbed the west wall of Mount Gongga (5,928 meters above sea level) in mainland China, exploring new technical climbing routes, and retreating due to a blizzard at an altitude of 5,700 meters.
  • 2023: Climbed Dhaulagiri, the seventh highest peak in the world, with Lu Zhonghan, exploring a new route, but did not reach the summit.[21]

Accident

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At around 7:00 a.m. on June 27, 2024, Chang Yuan-chih and his mentor Chang Hsing-Wen were climbing the Frendo Spur on the north face of the Aiguille du Midi in the French Alps in Haute-Savoie.[22] At a height of 3,200 m Chang Yuan-Chih fell 250 meters.[2][23][24] The accident occurred before Chang Yuan-chih had clipped his safety rope, during a "non-technical" point on the climb.[25] Chang Yuan-chih died before rescuers could arrive.[3][26][2]

References

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  1. ^ 元氣周報 (2014-09-23). "登山募款／3個男孩 中央山脈大縱走". 元氣網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 聯合新聞網.
  2. ^ a b c Gorgeu, Guillaume (2024-06-27). "Un alpiniste dévisse sur 250 mètres et meurt dans la face nord de l'aiguille du Midi, dans le massif du Mont-Blanc" (in French). Franceinfo.
  3. ^ a b 陳容琛 (2024-06-28). "張元植法國白朗峰墜崖享年36歲 家屬：事出突然後續再說明" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 中央社.
  4. ^ 李秉芳 (2021-02-24). "專訪台灣登山家詹喬愉、張元植：登山不是浪漫冒險，「不去會死的他們」其實都很「怕死」". TNL The News Lens 關鍵評論網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  5. ^ "探險一步、前進一步──呂忠翰、張元植挑戰台灣人首登「野蠻巨峰」K2" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 報導者. 2019-04-26.
  6. ^ 雪羊 (2019-04-30). "山就是課本與人生，張元植". 百岳戶外學院 (in Chinese (Taiwan)) – via 健行筆記.
  7. ^ 劉肇育 (2024-06-28). "登山家張元植白朗峰墜崖離世 曾寫下登山因與死亡緊扣而不同" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 聯合新聞網.
  8. ^ "高中生勇氣可嘉 攀登阿空加瓜峰" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). TVBS新聞網. 2007-02-10. Archived from the original on 2019-09-15.
  9. ^ 游伊甄、林昆民 (2020-08-17). "山屋管理員身懷絕技 照護山友、守護自然" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 公視新聞網. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  10. ^ 劉貞麟 (2021-04-06). "行行出狀元—擺脫社會框架的束縛，回到最純真的生活—嘉明湖管理員". 大鵬網職涯發展平臺 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 教育部高教司高東屏區域教學資源中心. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  11. ^ 宋燕旻、盧松佑 (2012-09-05). "長征萬里！台青年挑戰蒙古拉力賽". 華視新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  12. ^ 李鴻典. "聞風喪膽死亡禁區！台灣三勇士無氧攀登 國旗飄布羅德峰". 蕃新聞 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  13. ^ 陳志祥 (2014-08-02). "歐都納攀登隊 征服布羅德峰". 中國時報 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  14. ^ 林嘉芬 (2014-08-14). "決戰八千米之巔──台灣隊首次成功無氧攀登「世界第十二高峰8051M布羅德峰」締造台灣紀錄". Don1Don (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on 2019-12-24. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  15. ^ 健行筆記 (2019-05-16). "極限登峰台灣版！ 登山家呂忠翰無氧登頂共5座巨峰". 健行筆記 (in Chinese (Taiwan)).
  16. ^ 吳孟儒 (2019-07-21). "取消攻頂K2「讓大家失望」 呂忠翰、張元植讓台灣看到新高度" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 自由時報. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
  17. ^ 林育正 (2019-07-21). "登頂「殺人峰」K2只差400公尺 呂忠翰、張元植殘念撤退" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). ETtoday新聞雲. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
  18. ^ 花孟璟 (2020-02-11). "超驚險！直升機針山絕壁救援 空勤救援畫面曝光". 自由時報 (in Chinese (Taiwan)).
  19. ^ 艾格 (2021-09-16). "時隔40年再有人成功攀上玉山主峰正北壁，大大們的閃尿紀實 ft. 元植、國威、礎豪、小紘". OUTSiDERS - 戶外風格誌 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  20. ^ 楊礎豪 (2021-10-21). "玉山東峰北壁紀錄". Chu Hao's basecamp (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  21. ^ 黃建霖 (2023-03-15). "挑戰新路線！呂忠翰、張元植再合作 出發攀登道拉吉里峰" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). NOWnews今日新聞.
  22. ^ "Mountaineer fatality on the North Face of the Aiguille du Midi". www.chamonix.net. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  23. ^ Savignac, Baptiste (2024-06-27). "Sans corde, l'alpiniste dévisse et se tue à l'aiguille du Midi" (in French). Le Dauphiné Libéré. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  24. ^ Landais, Jonathan (2024-06-27). "Haute-Savoie : un alpiniste taïwanais se tue à l'Aiguille du Midi" (in French). France Bleu. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  25. ^ "Taiwanese mountaineer dies from fall hiking Mont Blanc - Focus Taiwan". Focus Taiwan - CNA English News. 2024-06-28. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  26. ^ 曾婷瑄 (2024-06-28). "張元植墜白朗峰亡 駐法館處：以同理心全力協助" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 中央社.
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