[1] The term “seasoned veteran” refers to an outdoor adventure enthusiast who has spent many years in the field, accumulated rich experience, completed numerous high-risk routes, and lived to tell the tale.

[2] The starting point for tourists traveling to the Ali region, and also the final stop on the Lhasa-to-Sênggê Tsangpo passenger bus line that Zou Kaigui boarded.

[3] Duixie is a traditional folk dance originating from the Tsang region of Tibet, combining song, dance, and music, with a history of nearly a thousand years. In 2008, it was designated a national-level intangible cultural heritage. Interested readers are welcome to search for more.

[4] Information regarding the iron tower is cited from Baidu and from Yang Liusong’s essay “The Open Ground of the North.” Noted for attribution.

[5] A leather pouch used by Tibetan people to carry roasted barley flour.

[6] The aquamarine sculpture described is a semi-fictionalized creation by the author. Its inspiration is the world’s largest aquamarine, “Dom Pedra,” which originates from Brazil and weighs 10,363 carats.

[7] The skull wall is located within Biru County, Nagqu. It is a wall constructed from human skulls and is associated with sky burial practices.

[8] Biletu Peak is the world’s tallest sand mountain — dubbed the “Everest of the sand sea” — standing at 1,617 meters above sea level with an absolute height of over 500 meters. It is the endpoint of the crossing made by the three university students in this story.

[9] The passage cited above is quoted from Douban. The author is unknown. Noted for attribution.

[10] A “chicken nest” refers to an extremely soft, sunken pocket of sand.

[11] Suoyang grows in arid desert grasslands. The entire plant is reddish-brown in color, and most of it lies buried beneath the sand. It is distributed across Xinjiang, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, and other regions of China. Used in traditional Chinese medicine, it is known for its properties of tonifying the kidneys, replenishing essence, and moistening dryness.

[12] Information regarding gold mines is cited from Baidu Encyclopedia.

[13] This medication can prevent fluid from accumulating in the lungs in patients with high-altitude pulmonary edema. Please take only as directed by a medical professional.

[14] The Nujiang Seventy-Two Switchbacks are located in the Bangda-to-Baxu section of the Chamdo region in Tibet, also known as the “Sky Road Seventy-Two Switchbacks.” The elevation difference between the lowest and highest points is 1,500 meters. The road spans twelve kilometers, features many sharp bends, and has a high rate of accidents.

[15] High mountain deeply-incised terrain refers to areas where elevations generally reach 3,000 meters or above. The higher the mountain, the more intense the erosive force of water cutting downward through the earth’s surface — and over countless years of such relentless carving, the landscape is shaped into the high-mountain canyon formations seen today.

[16] The passage describing this is cited in full from Baidu Encyclopedia. Noted for attribution.

[17] An internet expression. Its meaning refers to dying after eating a severely poisonous mushroom, after which one’s family must hold a funeral banquet and invite the entire village to eat.