A Tribute to the 6th Anniversary of the KAILAS Outdoor Coaches Development Program

　　In recent years, as outdoor sports have flourished in China, an increasing number of enthusiasts have turned their attention to and actively participated in outdoor activities. However, with the frequent occurrence of mountain-related safety incidents each year and the varying quality of coaching teams, there is an urgent need for professional, standardized training programs in the industry.

　　Against this backdrop, in 2006, KAILAS and the Shenzhen Mountaineering Association jointly launched the outdoor public welfare project “KAILAS Outdoor Coaches Development Program.” Drawing on the mountaineering certificate system of the Hong Kong Mountaineering Union as a blueprint, referencing relevant courses from the Chinese Mountaineering Association, and taking into account the actual conditions of outdoor activities in the Shenzhen area, they established the “Shenzhen Mountaineering Association Mountaineering Certificate System” tailored for local outdoor sports enthusiasts and related professionals. This initiative aims to select a group of experienced, responsible, and motivated individuals from the pool of outstanding outdoor sports enthusiasts around Shenzhen who are willing to promote standardized mountain and outdoor sports practices. Through systematic training and hands-on practice, these individuals will master the course content and teaching techniques, growing into advocates of outdoor sports education and key forces in promoting standardized outdoor sports practices. They will take on the responsibility of popularizing basic outdoor sports knowledge.

　　The coaches’ training program commenced in August 2007. The first class consisted of 25 participants, whose overall performance and caliber were outstanding, representing many seasoned enthusiasts within the Shenzhen outdoor community. Participants received systematic training in three areas: course content, teaching techniques, and coaching qualities. They also enhanced their practical experience and organizational skills through numerous trial lectures, a series of specialized seminars, and internship activities, ultimately developing into high-caliber mountaineering coaches with comprehensive knowledge structures and rich teaching experience, committed to spreading fundamental outdoor sports knowledge. After completing a ten-month professional training course and assessment, they became professional and outstanding mountaineering talents in South China.

　　In the spring of 2012, the fifth class of the “KAILAS Outdoor Coaches Development Program” in Shenzhen officially commenced. At the same time, the first class of the Guangzhou branch of the “KAILAS Outdoor Coaches Development Program” was held on the same day. After six years of dedicated development, this marked the first time the outdoor public welfare coaching program had expanded beyond its original location, actively and effectively promoting public welfare outdoor sports in South China. Following a rigorous selection and interview process, the final number of participants from both locations was set at 46.

The coaching program offered a range of courses, including instructor teaching techniques, rescue and rope operation courses, analysis of mountaineering course content, development and design of training curricula, legal responsibilities, insurance knowledge, and map-making. Instructors were drawn from professional registered climbing coaches of the Chinese Mountaineering Association, outstanding mountaineering coaches from the Hong Kong Mountaineering Union, as well as experts from renowned corporate HR departments, bar associations, insurance companies, and Outward Bound training institutions. Most courses were scheduled on weekends, allowing participants to study in their spare time. After a year of dedication and effort, they completed all courses. The evaluation committee conducted a comprehensive assessment based on five criteria: oral exams, written tests, technical operation assessments, field practice evaluations, and assignment evaluations. Upon completing their internships, they were officially registered as mountaineering coaches by the Shenzhen Mountaineering Association, coming under unified management. They were authorized to conduct training classes according to the association’s training management procedures, teach corresponding levels of certified courses, and use standardized presentation slides, handouts, textbooks, and other supporting video and audio materials. Each coach was required to issue no fewer than 30 training certificates annually.

　　As the name of the program suggests, the “Development Program” has enabled a group of core outdoor sports figures in Shenzhen and surrounding areas to receive comprehensive, systematic training, mastering a wealth of outdoor knowledge and techniques while enhancing their teaching abilities. This has steadily steered the coaching team toward greater professionalism. Coaches trained through the “KAILAS Outdoor Coaches Development Program” have gone on to organize beginner, intermediate, and leadership outdoor training classes, leading groups to various destinations within the province, across the country, and internationally—including Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Europe—widely disseminating outdoor philosophies and techniques. Today, this group of coaches plays a significant role in the outdoor training landscape of Shenzhen and even the entire nation. Additionally, the “KAILAS Mountaineering and Exploration School” was launched in 2006. Based on the current state of mountaineering and outdoor sports development in China, KAILAS provides funding and professional equipment support for long-term and short-term mountaineering, rock climbing, and outdoor sports skill training organized by local mountaineering associations and clubs. Through training and learning, the program aims to cultivate more qualified mountaineering, exploration, and outdoor sports professionals in China, contributing the brand’s strength to the advancement of China’s mountaineering and outdoor sports industry.

　　The implementation of KAILAS’s outdoor public welfare projects hopes to change the current state of disorder, low professional knowledge levels, and frequent safety incidents in the outdoor sports community. Through the instruction of a group of well-trained coaches, an increasing number of ordinary enthusiasts can safely engage in outdoor activities under professional guidance. This helps shift public perceptions of outdoor sports—from being misunderstood, feared, or blindly followed—to fostering understanding and a positive attitude across society. On this ever-progressing path of public welfare, what KAILAS does today may be just a drop in the ocean—but we firmly believe that one day, it will form an ocean.