During their nearly two-week-long expedition, they feasted their eyes on glaciers, and sketched Tibetan antelopes and Tibetan wild asses. However, after suffering through blizzards and altitude sickness, one of the 13 members of the expedition died and others had to be carried out, including Yang himself, who suffered severe chest pain, bled from his nose and mouth, and nearly died from high-altitude pulmonary edema.
將近兩星期的探險中，除了飽覽冰川風光，為藏羚羊、藏野驢留下剪影外，也因大風雪和高山症吃足了苦頭，同行入江源區時有 13 人，只有 12 人活著出來，其中還有人是橫躺著出來的──包括當時已胸腔劇痛、口鼻出血，差一點因高原肺水腫喪命的楊恩生。