This summer vacation, the first Tibetan Mountaineering Summer Camp, organized by the Tibet Autonomous Region Mountaineering Association, kicked off at the Yangbajing Alpine Training Base at an altitude of 4,300 meters. Over 40 university students from Beijing University of Technology, Renmin University of China, Beihang University, and the University of Hong Kong all successfully summited Qizhi Peak.
Qizhi Peak at an altitude of 6,206 meters
Mountaineering Summer Camp: A Paradise for Beginners
Qizhi Peak features a grand mountain massif, well-developed glaciers, and convenient transportation, making it an ideal spot for mountaineering enthusiasts to try out adventure climbing. Across various media reports, the safety measures of the summer camp and the fulfillment of beginners’ dreams of reaching snowy peaks were particularly prominent keywords.
Long Yiming, president of the Self-Explorers Association at Renmin University of China, achieved his first summit of a snow mountain by participating in this summer camp. He spoke highly of the experience. Before signing up, he had been concerned about safety due to lacking technical skills and climbing experience. “Later I found that the coaches were very capable, the itinerary was meticulously arranged, and there was even a medical team for support.” During the actual climb, the coaches’ patient and dedicated instruction also left him very satisfied. As for the cost, Long paid a total of 3,980 yuan, which covered coach fees, accommodation and meals, medical expenses, and some transportation costs—but not personal technical gear (such as backpacks, trekking poles, ascenders, etc.) or other personal expenses. He believed it offered “great value and convenience.”
Long believes that in the future development of the Self-Explorers Association, “members with higher technical skills can form independent climbing teams, while those interested but less skilled can join the summer camp.” He considers the mountaineering summer camp a great choice for university students who are beginner mountaineers. “The Tibetan Mountaineering Conference has been held here for many consecutive years, with scientifically planned routes, well-organized activities, and experienced coaches.”
High-Level Mountaineering Teams Forced to Stay Away from Tibet
“At present, joining the summer camp is the only way for university students to climb in Tibet. For higher-level university mountaineering teams hoping to climb independently in Tibet, it’s almost impossible.” This year, several university mountaineering teams had to change their climbing plans as a result.
As a pioneer of university mountaineering in China, Peking University’s Mountain Eagle Society experienced a “mountain swap” this year. Initially, after receiving approval from the Tibet Mountaineering Association, the society announced in May that it would climb Songdan Kangsang Peak in Tibet during the summer break. But later communication with the Tibet Mountaineering Association revealed that the team would not be allowed into Tibet, so they reluctantly “swapped mountains” and chose to climb Geladandong Peak in Qinghai instead.
Zhang Mohan, president of the Mountain Eagle Society, said, “It’s like playing a game without any rules, where safety becomes an excuse.” He explained that for university teams, there is no clear written procedure for applying to climb snow mountains. In the early stages, there’s no need to submit climbing plans, let alone undergo evaluations by approval departments—meaning personal discretion can determine whether an application is approved. Early in the year, Zhang had already heard that Tibet had limited the number of mountains that university teams could climb to around four or five, and Songdan Kangsang Peak, which the Mountain Eagle Society had planned to climb, was among them, so “the initial application process went smoothly.” But the final outcome was disappointing—the team was told that due to the Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage in the Year of the Horse and limited border pass issuance, they were not allowed into Tibet.
The Mountain Eagle Society’s last climb in the Tibet Autonomous Region was in 2010. According to Zhang Mohan, that year’s climbing team was very strong, with many veteran members who had extensive climbing experience. The team had originally planned to climb an unclimbed peak in northern Tibet, but that was also not approved by the Tibet Mountaineering Association. In the end, they had to switch to a less challenging peak.
Zhang Mohan recalled an incident during this year’s climb of Geladandong Peak. A female team member felt cold during the final push to the summit and voluntarily proposed to descend and give up the summit attempt. “When the coach returned to camp, he said, ‘Your people are really amazing. If it were a commercial climbing team, when you ask them if they’re okay, they’ll definitely say yes, go up, and then won’t be able to come down.’” Zhang believes that every Mountain Eagle Society climber, from the first day of joining, undergoes strict discipline training and has a solid understanding of the dangers of snowy mountain environments, the spirit of teamwork, and their own physical conditions. Additionally, the leaders of university mountaineering teams have real control over their groups, with clear plans and defined limits for every step of the climb.
In interviews, the Tibet Mountaineering Association stated that it refused the Mountain Eagle Society entry this year because “there were too many new members with no climbing experience, and the ratio of veterans to newcomers did not reach 1:1.” But the Mountain Eagle Society responded that in fact, since 2002, they have consistently maintained a 1:1 ratio of veterans to newcomers and have never made an exception.
Beihang University’s mountaineering team, which also had to “swap mountains,” ultimately chose to join the Tibetan Mountaineering Summer Camp. When interviewed, Wang Zhaofeng, the team captain, explained: “We had originally planned to climb Tangla’angqu Peak in Tibet (at 6,330 meters), but because the Tibet Mountaineering Association organized the summer camp this year, we were forced to switch to Qizhi Peak. Personally, I didn’t really want to change mountains, because although the two peaks are similar in altitude, Qizhi Peak is relatively easier.”
Zhao Chao, climbing team leader of Tsinghua University’s Mountain Wilderness Association, also said: “We haven’t climbed in Tibet since 2010. One reason is that they open very few peaks—this year it seems only one peak was opened. Another reason is that the Tibet Mountaineering Association requires that local Tibetan guides must be hired.”
National Teams, Commercial Teams, and University Teams All Face Climbing Risks
“Safety is a relative concept.” Zhang Mohan believes that for someone with zero knowledge and zero experience, climbing a snow mountain is indeed dangerous, but for well-trained university mountaineering teams, blindly worrying about safety is unnecessary—“because it is controllable.” Zhang emphasized that the safety awareness climbers should have does not mean backing out just because there are risks, but handling dangers calmly and rationally when aware of them. He insisted: “Considering safety is one thing, rejecting an application is another—the standards should not be confused.” And under current conditions, the safety of university mountaineering teams still relies on themselves.
Liu Zheng, a senior member of the Mountain Eagle Society with eight snow mountain climbs under his belt, also stressed that in terms of climbing safety, whether it’s national teams, commercial teams, or university teams, climbing is dangerous. But as long as it is carefully planned, objectively evaluated, and rationally approached, risks can be kept within controllable limits—and there’s no truth to the claim that university climbing is more dangerous.
Regarding the Tibetan Mountaineering Summer Camp, which provides comprehensive student safety assurance, Zhang Mohan believes it doesn’t do much to advance the sport of mountaineering. Organized, package-style climbing experiences don’t require high levels of technical skill—even if participants know how to operate equipment, the lack of independent judgment and understanding of the snowy mountain environment means they cannot truly grasp what “mountaineering” means. “Opportunities to climb snow mountains are getting closer to the public, but the knowledge and culture of snow mountain climbing are not increasing.”
Zhang Mingxing, Secretary-General of the Tibet Autonomous Region Mountaineering Association, also mentioned the issue of climbing techniques in an interview with China Youth Daily: “During the summer camp, some students asked whether they could learn important skills such as route fixing and rope teaming. Our attitude is that under safe conditions, we can try to let them try and learn these, but it must be under the guidance of professional coaches. We will pay more attention to this kind of training in the future.”