Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness

Chapter 403: Chapter 401: Avalanche Survivor

“Blood scent? Where?”

Yao Jun shrugged his nostrils, but he couldn’t smell anything. The weather was too cold, and every breath felt like tiny knives were slicing inside his nostrils. If there really was a blood scent, it must be his own blood.

“Is the detector responding?”

Bi Fang adjusted the detector again, but there was no response.

Yao Jun touched his head in confusion. “No response, huh? There isn’t anyone around, right?”

“Maybe we’ve lost the detector, or maybe the other party wasn’t prepared, but I definitely smelled blood, and it was strong.”

“But I didn’t smell anything at all.” Yao Jun took a strong sniff but still nothing. “In such cold weather, any blood would have frozen, right? How could the scent drift? Are you a dog’s nose?”

“Don’t ask, if you ask, it’s a talent.” Bi Fang didn’t explain further and cautiously jogged towards the smell in the air.

When they crossed over a small slope, Bi Fang sharply retracted his right foot and stopped Yao Jun and Jerret who were right behind him.

“Be careful, there’s a glacier.”

As he spoke, he extended his climbing stick and prodded the pile of snow in front of him. Under the weak force, the snow slope collapsed rapidly, sending up plumes of white dust. Illuminated by the sunlight, a deep blue, seemingly bottomless crevasse appeared before them all.

The audience was stunned, just looking at the snow slope in front of Bi Fang, they could not discern any signs. If it were an ordinary person, wouldn’t they just fall right through?

How the hell did Master Fang identify it without any warning signs?

“[Holy shit, how the hell did he discover that?]”

“[X-ray, Master Fang used x-ray!]”

“[What the hell is x-ray, did I stumble into the Sci-Fi channel? What’s this madness?]”

“[New fans might not know this, but Old Fang is our country’s secret weapon, having undergone a physical transformation. His eyes can shoot out x-rays for easy scanning. Inside our military, there’s an unwritten agreement: If the enemy doesn’t deploy nuclear weapons, we don’t bring out Master Fang!]”

“[Is the ultimate weapon’s existence no longer a secret?]”

“You obviously can’t tell just by looking at this pile of snow in front, but if you extend your view a bit further…”

Upon hearing Bi Fang’s words, the photographer back at the base camp immediately flies the drone up high to capture the entire slope. With the sightline drastically expanded and good lighting conditions, the audience finally could spot the difference.

On the snow slope, another scar-like snow line was slightly raised, casting slight shadows under the sunlight. Even though it was subtle, once the view widened, it became conspicuous.

“Glaciers covered by snow are difficult to spot, and every year, many people get buried because of such glaciers. However, a broader view can lead to a more complete understanding. When such streamlined snow lines appear before you, you should be alert. Besides the snow line, you can also judge by the color.”

Bi Fang grabbed a handful of snow from the edge of the crevasse, took a few steps back, and placed it on the ground.

The audience widened their eyes, and after careful comparison, they slowly realized that the snow on the edge of the crack seemed darker?

“[Is the snow on the edge of the crack darker? Is this an illusion?]”

“It’s not an illusion. These crevasses covered by snow are called hidden crevasses. Besides being slightly lower than the surrounding area, which can be observed from high altitudes during the day through shadow lines, it’s through the color of the snow. The snow on hidden crevasses will be slightly yellowish or blackish.”

“Is it really that amazing? What’s the principle behind it?” Yao Jun listened with interest, grabbing a handful of snow and giving it a lick.

It didn’t taste any different, did it?

Just as icy.

Bi Fang chuckled, “Take a guess?”

“If I could have known, I wouldn’t be following behind you.”

“It’s the specific heat capacity.” Bi Fang patted the snow in his hand, “Below the crevasse is air that can’t circulate. The specific heat capacity is higher than that of rock, and the temperature difference causes the ice crystals and density of the snow to vary, changing its refractive index and deepening its color.”

What?

The audience was dumbfounded.

[I thought Bi Fang knew a lot already, but I underestimated him.]

[Specific heat capacity, damn it, I would never have thought of that reason in my lifetime…]

[Is this what a big shot is like? Shivering.]

Bi Fang walked along the glacier crevasse, trying to find if any Sherpa had left behind an aluminum ladder.

“The depth of a typical glacier crevasse is 25-30 meters. This one is obviously deeper; the ice layers beyond this depth are much more solid. The deeper it goes, the bigger the ice crystals become, and the stronger the adhesion. When it’s subjected to pressure trying to separate it, its inner structure becomes even denser due to the pressure, and it’ll appear thick like cream or syrup.”

“Actually, the best way to cross a glacier is to go around it. Circling around is much safer than crossing over. If that’s not possible, the next best option is to choose a snow bridge. The deep snow of winter can become hardened under strong winds, potentially forming a snow bridge over the crevices that won’t melt until summer. There’s also a stronger type of snow bridge, but that’s not really a snow bridge anymore—it’s a slender isthmus connecting two crevasses.”

[What the hell is an isthmus?]

[It’s a narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses, like the Isthmus of Panama between the continents of South America and North America. That’s a typical isthmus, but one connecting crevasses is rare, at least I haven’t seen many.]

[Bro, what do you do for a living?]

[I’m a geological explorer. This morning, a colleague of mine told me about this guy live streaming an avalanche and executing a textbook self-rescue, so I got curious and came to watch. The live streamer is really impressive. Although I haven’t watched for long, he is very professional, and there is some knowledge I’m not clear about.]

Old Deng stroked his glasses and typed this message on his computer.

The color of the snow over a glacier’s hidden crevasse is deeper because of the specific heat capacity. Although he hadn’t been working long, and his main focus wasn’t glaciers, he understood more about this than most people. This knowledge truly opened his eyes, making him feel an urge to fly to Mount Everest to study glaciers right away.

“This phenomenon isn’t something you can simply find out through basic research and investigation; it requires a lot of experience. Where did this guy get all that?”

[Wow, we have all sorts of people watching the live stream. Yesterday, a top hacker appeared, and today a geological explorer joined in.]

[Didn’t we also have biology and history professors before? (Dog’s head)]

[Prosperous!]

Regrettably, Bi Fang did not find any aluminum ladder left by the Sherpa, only the peg holes left next to the glacier. The aluminum ladder was likely swept away by last night’s avalanche.

But luckily, Bi Fang did find a snow bridge.

It was wide and thick, looking like a paved road.

“When you encounter a snow bridge, you need to closely observe from the side before stepping on it. Ensure it’s not thin, then try walking on it to physically check it out. Be very careful, and if you have a teammate, let them stand to the side to make sure they keep the rope taut to prevent you from falling into the crevasse should the snow bridge suddenly break. After the first person crosses, the rest of the team can follow their lead closely, with another teammate ensuring the rope is tight.”

“The sturdiness of a snow bridge is mainly influenced by the temperature. On cold winter days or in the early morning, a snow bridge might support the weight of a truck, but in the afternoon sun when the snow begins to melt, it might not even support one’s own weight. Every crossing of a snow bridge must be approached with increased alertness; just because it was safe in the morning doesn’t mean it will be safe in the afternoon.”

“Stay tight,” Bi Fang turned back and said to Yao Jun and Jerret.

The two nodded and simultaneously lowered their centers of gravity, crampons firmly set into the ice.

Bi Fang took a deep breath, about to step forward when, a few meters away on the edge of the glacier, a bloodied hand pressed against the ice, its blood quickly coagulating into a handprint and sprouting sharp ice crystals.

Bi Fang’s pupils shrank suddenly.

“Quick, go save them!”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om