For Huang Chunyan, 43, summiting Qomolangma in 2017 was a statement against gender bias in her small hometown village. Now, she is leading eight teenagers, five of whom are female, back to Qomolangma — also known as Mount Everest in the West — to help blaze steep new trails where "impossible "was the previous mantra.

Born in an impoverished village in Guizhou province, Huang was repeatedly told that a woman's fate was to rely on men. She resolutely resisted this way of thinking, ever since she was young. Mocked for aspiring beyond traditional domestic roles and often asked "What can a girl achieve?", she found solace in the nearby mountains.

"Wildflowers soaked in sunlight taught me resilience. In the mountains, I felt powerful, like anything was possible."

Childhood escapes to forested mountains bred in her a defiant spirit that led to her making a vow to herself. "I will stand on the world's highest point to prove that women can achieve greatness just as men."

Over the decades, Huang transformed herself from a village girl into a professional alpinist. After enduring over a decade of rigorous training, passing numerous tests and saving 530,000 yuan ($73,000) to cover the costs of climbing Qomolangma, she earned a place in a 2017 Qomolangma expedition team of 21 members, including three women.

Yet the journey nearly ended before it began.