Climbing 1,377 steep steps — the equivalent of ascending some 70 floors in a standard office building — can exert considerable physical strain on most people.

Add to this biting gusts, thin air at an altitude exceeding 4,000 meters and a steep incline of over 70 degrees, and one can begin to grasp a fraction of the rigorous conditions that the border defense regiment in Bedel, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, deals with on a daily basis.

Their routine patrol entails scaling 1,377 steps to reach China's No 3 boundary marker with Kyrgyzstan in Xinjiang's Wushi county. The stairway is known as tianti in Mandarin, meaning sky ladder.

Simply reaching the base of the staircase is arduous for most of the year, as heavy snowfall renders sections of the rugged road from the troop's camp — strewn with gravel and surrounded by steep cliffs and valleys — impassable by vehicles.

Soldiers have to trudge through the deep snow on foot.

Recalling his initial journey to the boundary marker in January 2022, soldier Fu Yong recounted how his ears suffered severe blistering in the freezing temperatures.

"Our vehicle became immobile roughly two kilometers from the stairs due to heavy snowfall, forcing us to wade forward in waist-deep snow while carrying our patrol gear to reach just the first step," he said.

Lyu Mengfan, a soldier from Henan province, made his first visit to the boundary pillar in August of 2023.

"I was filled with excitement and couldn't resist sprinting ahead. By the time I neared the marker, my strength had waned, and a senior soldier had to assist me and pull me up for the final stretch," he said.

Upon reaching the summit, Lyu was stunned by the landscape.

"The endless expanse of rolling mountains cloaked in pristine white snow, bathed in golden sunlight at the peak left me in awe," he said.

"One side of the marker represents my homeland, while the other side is a neighboring nation. It dawned on me the tangible significance of our duty as border soldiers," he added.

Through rigorous physical training and acclimatization to high altitudes, Lyu is now able to complete the 1,377 steps in about half an hour, a marked improvement from his initial attempt that took over an hour.

"Several veteran soldiers in our regiment have served here for more than a decade, akin to unyielding rocks safeguarding our country's border. Their unwavering dedication serves as a profound source of inspiration for us," he said.

The spirit of the border soldiers in Bedel is encapsulated in three principles: to endure like solid rock, to stand resilient like a pine tree, and to be as sharp as a sword. These principles are engraved on a stone wall at their military outpost.

Built in the 1990s to prevent mudslides, the 6-meter-tall, 36-meter-long wall bears the names of 143 soldiers who have exemplified the qualities of perseverance, resilience and sharpness through their dedicated contributions.

"Naturally, we all aspire to see our names etched on the wall before retiring from the unit. More importantly, we strive to be part of a collective force embodying these values, inspiring fellow soldiers to uphold our spirit in safeguarding our land," Lyu said.

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