《同窗》系列 | Nigel：15歲登頂玉珠峰，不以“未知”限制“可能”！

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加入啟明星，你會遇到什么樣的玩伴？

為孩子選擇啟明星，您會加入什么樣的家長圈？

“同窗”系列，

講述啟明星的學生和他們背后的家庭——

未成年

清瘦

登山小白

準備時間不到半年

登上昆侖山脈東段最高峰玉珠峰

按照常理，這樣的事情很難發生。

可是我們15歲的Nigel（徐恩淏）做到了!

10月6日，Nigel登上了昆侖山東段的最高峰——6178米高的玉珠峰！

并且，他獨自從北京飛到青海格爾木，參加適應性訓練，然后登頂、返回。他自己料理一切，只是讓媽媽在賓館等他下山。

他用一套“魔法”突破常理的限制做到這些。這套魔法包括社會創新者必備的好奇心、縝密的計劃能力和執行力，當然，還有來自家庭的堅定支持。

“登山增強了我作為社會創新者的品質，尤其是自信，也提升了我未來面對挑戰的時候，解決問題的能力和從容不迫的心態。”

——Nigel

怎么想起來登山？

“跑偏”的好奇心

Nigel登山的念頭出于課堂學習的“跑偏”：

今年4、5月，在人文課的學習中，Nigel要搜索有關青藏公路的信息。

這一搜索，一發不可收拾，青藏公路貫穿的山川地貌、特別是那些壯闊的山峰一下子抓住Nigel的心。他把搜索框中的“青藏公路”改成了“冰川和雪山”，他太想親眼看看了，特別是西昆侖山脈上的慕士塔格峰。

“慕士塔格峰，高度7546米，被稱作冰川之父。”Nigel說。

登慕士塔格峰，天方夜譚一樣，但Nigel是認真的。

他開始做功課，大量調研。他了解到，要登慕士塔格峰，必須要有攀登其他雪山的經驗。

綜合研判，Nigel選定了昆侖山脈東段最高峰——玉珠峰作為實現夢想的第一步。

“我是登山小白。玉珠峰的攀登難度既有挑戰又相對可行。我也想借這個機會測試一下自己，如果能登上玉珠峰，我再繼續準備登慕士塔格峰。”

折磨又享受的過程

缺氧，疲憊

Nigel用這樣理性而合理的目標和計劃說服了父母，然后一步步落實。

玉珠峰的攀登難點是體力，所以，他開始保持每周騎行1-2次，每次50公里的習慣。

從下決心到10月初登頂，是5個月，Nigel也訓練了5個月。

玉珠峰的攀登窗口期是每年的4月中至10月初，要趕在冬季封山前攀登，十一假期一到，他就飛往青海格爾木，進行為期4天的適應性訓練。

10月5日中午，Nigel從5000米高度的大本營出發，和向導（按規定必須配備）一起到達5600米的C1營地休息，登頂定在下一天。

當天晚上，Nigel并沒休息好。因為缺氧，他的血氧掉到85左右，所以即便很累，也頭疼到睡不下，飯也吃不下。

第二天10月26日凌晨3點，Nigel起床出發。“還是很疲勞，從睡袋里鉆出來，我花了5分鐘。”

C1營地

這是Nigel第一次登上高海拔，加上玉珠峰獨特的地理位置形成零植被地貌，空氣中的含氧量就更低。6000米高度的含氧量甚至不如很多7000米的山。

有的人會吸氧， Nigel沒有。“不能吸氧，不然就依賴上了，會影響我適應。” 有的人是靠向導拽上去的，Nigel也沒有，并且自己負重全部裝備。同行的人得了肺水腫返回了營地，Nigel繼續前進。

一度，他累到癱在地上睡著，那一刻被向導拍了下來（下圖）。

隨著海拔升高，身邊的雨變成了雪。風很大，裹著雪吹到臉上，生疼。

上午10點26分，在雪峰上跋涉了7個小時， Nigel登頂了！此時溫度已經降到零下20度。

確立目標，展開調查，制定計劃，然后一步步成功實施——Nigel的玉珠峰之行體現了一名IB學習者和社會創新者的良好素養。

爸媽的想法

“不能以我的局限限制他的可能”

登頂的信息，向導實時傳給Nigel的媽媽。

一夜無眠的媽媽收到訊息，焦慮決堤般釋放：“我當時真想嚎啕大哭，壓力太大了！”

其實，Nigel第一次和第二次跟家里提起登山的計劃，都被拒絕了。

“等你成年之后再說。”媽媽說，“而且，你要爬的山具體是什么情況？危險有多大？多少預算？…….”一連串問題Nigel也答不上來。

Nigel不想放棄，而且在他看來，媽媽的問題是合理的。他開始對登山做大量研究，一一回答這些疑問，終于一步步說服了父母。

“我后來也冷靜了。我想，我不能以自己的局限，去限制他的無限可能。而且我從小就告訴他，不要擔憂未知的結局，而是要關注過程，過程好，結局不會太差，努力付出就好。當我看到他針對我的擔憂做出種種準備，我想，無論如何，我都要支持他。” Nigel媽媽說。

“從Nigel小時起，我們就信任、尊重、包容、理解他。可能一開始的時候，我不能理解他的一些事情、想法，但是我尊重包容他，慢慢的也許我就能理解了。”Nigel媽媽說，“我的人生經驗比他多，但我的知識儲備不一定比他多，所以我信任他、尊重他。”

“另外，對孩子我們只鼓勵不比較，只劃線不設限。”Nigel媽媽說，“我們不會拿他和別的孩子比較，就像我們成年人也不想別人簡單粗暴地來比較我們和別人的成就一樣。我們給予他自由，但他畢竟還沒有成年，所以我們允許他在不超出底線的框架內自由探索。”

“老師們的身體力行也讓孩子看到打破常規的無限可能，感受到傳統觀念中的無用之用實則有大用。比如，英文老師兼職足球隊教練，科學老師也能執教籃球隊。

而啟明星的核心價值觀里的尊重這一條，老師們做得非常好。他們鼓勵學生獨特的想法，哪怕是有些異想天開的想法也會認真傾聽。被聽到被看到被鼓勵被尊重的孩子潛力無限！”

——Nigel媽媽

Nigel參加英文辯論賽和數學競賽

基于以上種種考慮，毫不意外地，媽媽相信Nigel，同意他繼續登山。

下一步，慕士塔格

——還可能有阿式攀登

Nigel已經計劃好在冬天假期前往四川，參加冰壁攀登和其他進階攀登技術的訓練，2025年夏天沖鋒慕士塔格。

“登玉珠峰的過程很痛苦，那種挑戰你生理和心理極限的痛苦是語言不能描述的。下山后，我也動搖過，是不是再也不要登山了。但是經過一段時間的修整，我發現沒法抗拒大自然的吸引力。”Nigel說。

Nigel說，他的目標不止于此。他想在技術上直面更大的難度。

“未來我可能會去登一些更有技術挑戰的山，去探索一些未登峰，也就是從未有人登頂過的山峰。單是喜馬拉雅山脈就有超過100多座未登峰等待人探索。另外，我們現在做的是金字塔式（喜馬拉雅式）攀登，也就是有后勤、有向導、有大本營的攀登，我想嘗試阿式攀登，自己組隊，整個攀登過程只有我和隊友，真正全靠自己的力量征服高山。”Nigel說。

從課堂學習到查閱海量資源，到玉珠峰，到慕士塔格峰，到未登峰，到阿式攀登——不斷探索、總結、反思——Nigel經歷了一個完整的學習和成長過程。

從幼兒園就在啟明星學習的Nigel，就在這樣循環的學習過程里一年年成長。

我們祝福他未來登上更高的山峰，突破更多未知的局限，實現無限的可能！

啟明星學生在清華：用紀錄片展示一段塵封的歷史

想更多了解啟明星，來開放日啊！

What type of classmates will you meet at Daystar Academy?

What is the parent community like at Daystar?

Our"Classmates"series shines a light on Daystar students and families.

A teenager

Slender build

Mountaineering novice

Prepared in less than half a year

Conquered Yuzhu Peak, the highest peak of the eastern Kunlun Mountains

Logic would suggest that this is highly unlikely.

But this is in fact what Daystar’s 15-year-old Nigel Xu did!

On October 6, Nigel reachedthe summit of Yuzhu Peak, the 6,178-meter highpeak in the eastern Kunlun Mountains!

Nigel tackled this challenge independently.He flew by himself to Golmud (Qinghai province), underwent acclimatization training, scaled the summit and returned down from the peak. His only request was that his mother would be waiting for him back at the hotel.

Nigel used a series of "magic" steps to break through constraints and achieve something exceptional. This "magic" included curiosity, meticulous planning, execution, and the unwavering support of his parents.

"I feel that this mountain climbing experience has strengthened my qualities as a social innovator especially my self-confidence. It's also boosted my ability to solve problems when facing challenges as well as my composure under pressure."

—Nigel

Why mountaineering?

Curiosity Opens New Paths

Nigel's inspiration to go mountain climbing began with a classroom assignment.

In April and May this year, Nigel was asked to search for information about the Qinghai-Tibet Highway for his Humanity course.

This search led him down an unstoppable path: the vast mountain landscapes traversed by the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, especially the towering peaks, immediately captured Nigel's heart. He replaced "Qinghai-Tibet Highway" in his search for "glaciers and snow-capped mountains," as he found himself desperately wanting to see these mountains in person. The one that most caught his attention was Muztagh Ata in the western Kunlun Mountains.

"Muztagh Ata, with an altitude of 7,546 meters, is known as the 'Father of Glaciers.'" Nigel said.

Climbing Muztagh Ata seemed like a far-fetched dream, but Nigel was serious about it.

He started extensive research, and learned that to climb Muztagh Ata, he must have experience scaling other high peaks first.

After thorough assessment and evaluation, Nigel chose to begin with Yuzhu Peak, the highest peak in the eastern Kunlun Mountains.

"I'm a mountaineering novice. Climbing Yuzhu Peak is challenging but relatively feasible. I also wanted to use this opportunity to test myself. If I can successfully scale Yuzhu Peak, I'll continue preparing to climb Muztagh Ata."

So much challenging

Oxygen Deprivation and Headaches

Nigel's planning was logical and systematic. He first used reasonable goals and concrete plans to convince his parents, then followed up with step-by-step implementation.

The biggest challenge for climbing Yuzhu Peak is the physical strength required, so Nigel started cycling 50 kilometers, one to two times each week.

Nigel trained diligently for five months, starting from the time he decided to climb to his ultimate summit in October.

The window to climb Yuzhu Peak is from mid-April to early October each year. As soon as the National Day holiday arrived, Nigel flew to Golmud, Qinghai province, for four days of acclimatization training.

On the afternoon of October 5, he set out from the 5,000-meter base camp, accompanied by a guide (as required by regulations) to reach the 5,600-meter Camp 1 for rest, with the summit scheduled for the next day.

That night, Nigel did not rest well. He was already experiencing oxygen deprivation, with his blood oxygen level dropping to around 85. Nigel felt very tired and had a severe headache, which prevented him from sleeping or eating well.

At 3 a.m. the following day, they set out for the climb. "I was very fatigued; it took me five minutes just to crawl out of the sleeping bag."

C1 Camp Site

The ascent was truly arduous. This was Nigel's first time at such high altitudes. Furthermore, due to the unique geographical location of Yuzhu Peak, which has almost no vegetation, not even grass, the oxygen content in the air was even lower than many 7,000-meter peaks.

Some people use oxygen, but Nigel did not. "I can't use oxygen, or I'll become dependent on it, affecting my acclimatization." Some climbers were pulled up by the guides, but Nigel did it on his own, even carrying his own equipment. A fellow climber had to turn back to camp due to pulmonary edema, but Nigel pressed on.

At one point, he collapsed on the ground, exhausted, and slept for a while, which was captured by the guide.

As they started out, there was rain, but as they ascended, the rain turned to snow. The wind was strong, blowing painful snow into their faces.

At 10:26 a.m. on October 6, after seven hours of trekking on the snowy peak, Nigel reached the summit! The temperature had already plummeted to negative 20 degrees Celsius.

Establishing a goal, conducting research, formulating a plan, and step-by-step implementation: Nigel's Yuzhu Peak expedition exemplifies the qualities of an IB learner and growing social innovator.

Were his parents worried?

I Can't Let My Own Limitations Restrict His Possibilities

The guide was sharing updates from the summit in real-time with Nigel’s mother.

His mother did not sleep all night, as she anxiously awaited each message. "At that time, I really wanted to cry out loud; the pressure was too intense!"

In fact, the first two times Nigel broached the idea about mountaineering with his parents, they refused.

"Wait until you're of legal age." His mother said, "And what exactly is the mountain you want to climb? How dangerous is it? What type of budget do you need? ..." - a string of questions that Nigel could not answer at the time.

Nigel was persistent, and in his view, his mother's concerns were reasonable. He conducted extensive research on mountaineering, answered her questions, and ultimately proceeded to systematically convince his parents.

"But later, I also calmed down. I thought,I can't let my own limitations restrict his possibilities.And since he was young, I've always told him not to worry about unknown outcomes, but to focus on the process. If the process goes well, the outcome won't be too bad - just put in the effort." Nigel's mother said.

"From a young age, we have trusted, respected, accepted, and listened to him. Maybe at first I couldn't understand some of his ideas, but I’ve always respected and accepted him, and gradually I found more understanding." Nigel's mother said, "I have more life experience than he does, but my capacity for knowledge is not necessarily greater than his."

"Furthermore, when it comes to our child, we try to encourage, not compare; we draw boundaries but don't set limits." Nigel's mother said, "We won't compare him to other children, just as adults we don't want others to carelessly compare our achievements.We give him freedom, but after all, he hasn't reached adulthood yet, so we allow him to freely explore within a framework that doesn't exceed the bottom line."

"Also, our teachers' actions have modeled for our children that a person has infinite possibilities and potential beyond traditional concepts and conventions. For example, an English teacher who also coaches the soccer team; or a science teacher who also coaches the basketball team. And 'respect', which is one of Daystar's core values, is something the teachers truly embody and share. They encourage students' unique ideas; even if they are a bit far-fetched, they will take time to listen. Children who are heard, seen, encouraged, and respected have limitless potential!"

-Nigel's Mother

Nigel in English Debate and Math Competitions

Given all of this, it's no surprise that Nigel’s mother has agreed to let him continue mountaineering.

Next, Muztagh Ata

Potential For Alpine-style Climbing

Nigel has already planned to go to Sichuan during the winter break to train in ice wall climbing and other advanced climbing techniques. He plans to attempt to summit Muztagh Ata in the summer of 2025.

"The mountaineering process is very painful; that kind of challenge to your physical and psychological limits is indescribable. After descending, I was also hesitant, wondering if I should ever climb again. But after recovering for a period of time, I found that I can't resist the pull of nature." Nigel said.

Nigel said his goals do not stop there. He would like to challenge himself with greater technical difficulties.

"In the future, I may climb some mountains with more technical challenges, exploring unclimbed peaks on mountains that no one has ever reached the summit. There are more than 100 such unclimbed peaks waiting to be explored in the Himalayas alone. Additionally, what I’ve been doing up to now is pyramid-style climbing, with logistics, guides, and base camps. I want to try alpine-style climbing, where I form my own team, and the entire climbing process is just me and my teammates, relying solely on our own strength to conquer the mountain." Nigel said.

From classroom learning to applied inquiry, to Yuzhu Peak, to Muztagh Ata, to unclimbed peaks, to alpine-style climbing, including self-reflection and comprehensive analysis: Nigel has experienced a complete learning and growth process.

Nigel has been a student at Daystar since kindergarten. We wish him the best as he continues to scale even higher peaks in the future, surpassing unknown limitations, and realizing his infinite potential!

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