Rock climbing is often seen as an unattainable sport by many, but in fact, there’s an active rock climbing team on Nanjing’s Purple Mountain. The team members are ordinary citizens of all shapes and sizes, ranging in age from 10 to 60. This climbing group welcomes people regardless of profession or age — anyone with a passion for sports can join and take on the challenge of the cliffs.
Over 200 people have joined the rock climbing team
The leader of this citizen climbing team, Zhang Chunmin, is 50 years old and the founder and head of an outdoor sports club with years of experience in outdoor activities. He posts climbing event information in a QQ group he created, leading a climb almost every week. As such, he has to manage sign-ups in advance, with only around 15 people per session. “In this group, no matter your profession or age, as long as you love sports, you’re welcome. We now have over 200 members,” Zhang told reporters. They regularly share basic climbing knowledge in the group, and anyone who completes some training and shows good adaptability can join the climbs. He also explained, “We climb a cliff at Tianbao City on Purple Mountain. It’s only about twenty meters high, making it a great training spot for beginners. Before each climb, I teach them some techniques and demonstrate on-site. Many members are climbing for the first time, but no one has failed to make it up yet.”
Coming Down Is Slightly Harder Than Going Up
Many citizens who tried climbing said they were quite nervous beforehand, thinking it was a physically demanding sport and doubting whether they could make it up. But once they started climbing, their focus shifted entirely to moving upward. Most had smooth ascents, but descending was slightly more challenging. Without mastering the right techniques, they didn’t know where to place their feet. “At that point, you need to figure out where to step and adjust a bit — then you can usually get down just fine,” Zhang told reporters. Many who were hesitant to start ended up not wanting to stop, wishing the mountain could be even taller.
Middle-Aged Aunties Fall in Love with Rock Climbing
The group also includes many middle-aged and older participants. Among them, 43-year-old Ms. Ruan Hong and 48-year-old Ms. Zheng are the latest “female heroes” to successfully reach the top. “Most women my age are into singing and dancing. When I first told others I wanted to go rock climbing, no one believed me,” Ms. Ruan shared. She said she had poor health since childhood, often failing medical checkups. After twisting her ankle in a fall four years ago, she began exercising and gradually grew fond of hiking. Two years ago, while browsing online, she stumbled upon this outdoor sports club. At the time, she was eager to meet others who shared her new passion and decided to join. “Over the past two years, I’ve exercised daily and gone hiking often. Gradually, it became a habit. I also noticed my balance was much better than most when descending. That made me want to try rock climbing.” So last Sunday, she joined other club members for a new challenge on Purple Mountain. After watching the coach’s demonstration and explanation, Ms. Ruan mustered the same determination she had when learning to drive and became the first woman to climb without hesitation.
Ms. Zheng, nearly 50 years old, was even more eager to push her limits. She said that at the foot of Purple Mountain, she was understandably nervous, watching how others found footholds while worrying about whether she could make it up. “Once I took the first step, I started to calm down. But when I neared the top, all the techniques I remembered suddenly slipped my mind — after all, watching others climb is different from doing it yourself. I moved a bit slower finding footholds, but after some trial and error, I got the hang of it, and descending went smoothly.” Ms. Zheng also mentioned she hadn’t had enough fun last time and definitely plans to go again.