Jiajin: The Snow Mountain Challenge

In June 1935, in order to shake off the pursuing enemy forces and join up with the Fourth Front Army, the Central Red Army had to cross Mount Jiajin. This was the first major snow mountain they faced on the Long March. At 4,114 meters, it was covered in ice and snow; the air was extremely thin and the paths barely visible. After eight months on the march, the troops were exhausted and nearly out of supplies. They had only thin clothes and straw sandals to wear; some even had to go barefoot. Eventually, it took them six agonizing days to cross Mount Jiajin. Yet they would later face more than 20 mountains above 4,000 meters, pushing their endurance to the limit.