Nature is magical. When we venture deep into pristine forests for mountaineering, there are always thrilling surprises awaiting us. In 2013, during a snowy night while climbing Jian Shanzi Peak, I was circled by a lone wolf outside my tent. In 2015, at the Niuxinshan campsite, I faced off against several wolves late at night. And in 2014, while descending from Wanyueding, I accidentally stumbled into a bear’s den after spotting some steaming droppings underfoot.
Pristine forests are home to wildlife, and our mountaineering activities may often disturb their peaceful lives. But remember, all animals are at least capable of self-defense and aggression. In their eyes, humans are strange creatures, and they will usually avoid us when they hear our voices. However, when you’re quietly defecating in the bushes alone, when you’re about to step out of your tent at night to urinate, or when you’re silently hiking with your backpack on... and you look up to find a wolf, bear, or wild boar staring back at you— that moment of eye contact can absolutely be described as hair-raising. Based on theoretical knowledge and practical experience, I’ll briefly introduce how to deal with potentially life-threatening animals (wolves, wild boars, bears) in high-altitude forested areas.
OneFirst, quickly force yourself to stay calm, look it straight in the eyes, and don’t let it predict your next move. Stay alert, but do not attack first—that will only expose yourself. Do not turn your back; in nature, doing so signals that you are prey.
Second, face the animal and slowly back away. At the same time, do not let it sense that you are trying to flee (in nature, some animals interpret retreating as a sign of preparing to attack—predators know this). If it advances, stop retreating immediately.
Note: When backing away, always move at a steady, slow pace. Even if it doesn’t follow, don’t run—this is the wild, and it can easily catch up. Running signals that you are prey.
Third, try not to climb a tree (unless it hasn’t noticed you, or you’re confident your backup team can arrive soon). Climbing a tree cuts off your escape route because bears can climb trees; wolves are smart and good at waiting; and although wild boars can’t climb trees and have lower intelligence, whether they’d wait in ambush is something you’d have to test at your own risk.
Fourth, if it’s a bear, “playing dead” absolutely does not work. Someone actually tried it—the result? After getting slapped by the bear, losing a chunk of scalp, jumping up in terror, shouting, and then climbing a tree, the bear ran away scared by the scream. (Of course, while he was climbing, the bear did leave—but only because the roar startled it.)
Fifth, wolves are the most dangerous animals because they often move in packs. If you encounter just one wolf while hiking, never underestimate it. First, strike metal objects—faster is better—and head back to camp as soon as possible. Wolves are afraid of fire, which you can use to your advantage. Don’t think eliminating the single wolf will solve the problem—in fact, it could provoke the entire pack’s hostility. When wolves seek revenge or want to rescue one of their own, they may rally other packs (until they believe they can win)—at which point, even fire won’t deter them.
If you encounter a wolf pack near your camp that isn’t overwhelmingly larger in number, first quickly strike pots, pans, ice axes, rock nails, snow picks, etc., blow a loud, fast-paced metal whistle to create terrifying metallic sounds, and scare them off. If they don’t retreat, shout angrily while continuing to make noise and build a fire as quickly as possible. If the wolves remain aggressive, comrades, grab your ice axes, snow picks, ropes, knives, stones—get ready to fight for your lives.
PS: Survival whistles aren’t just for calling for help if you’re lost—they also serve as a warning to wildlife deeper in the forest: a strange upright-walking human is approaching. This helps you avoid unexpected encounters with animals that don’t normally attack humans.