Rock climbing:
Divided into natural rock climbing and artificial wall climbing, it is an exhilarating and highly challenging activity.
Ice climbing:
Ice climbing evolved from rock climbing and is an essential skill for scaling high and snowy mountains, as well as a basic ability in mountaineering. The ice climbed today is mainly natural, including two types: icefalls and ice columns. Ice climbing is a sport that relies on equipment and tools, demanding high-quality, durable gear.
Rappelling:
Cliff rappelling involves descending a steep cliff face under the guidance and protection of an instructor. Using various professional mountaineering equipment, participants learn how to use the gear and perform the necessary techniques on-site, stepping off the cliff edge and descending to the ground along a rope.
Camping:
Involves staying overnight in the wild, cooking outdoors, and learning various survival skills. In natural environments, interpersonal relationships become closer and more harmonious. Camping is a leisure activity where campers usually carry tents, leave the city, set up camps in the wilderness, and stay for one or multiple nights. Camping is often combined with other activities such as hiking, fishing, or swimming.
Orienteering:
Also known as cross-country orienteering, it is an activity where participants use maps and compasses in the wild to navigate a course and mark checkpoints (record cards) in various formats. It was invented in 1918 by Swedish Scout leader Major Evnst Killander as a “treasure hunt” to train Scouts in orienteering and physical fitness. Over time, it has developed into modern orienteering.
Orienteering:
Orienteering is also a competitive sport, similar to the well-known treasure hunt. The general process involves hiding several points in beautiful natural environments such as fields, hills, forests, or suburban parks. Participants use maps and compasses to find the direction of these points. They proceed swiftly and accurately, either on foot or running, integrating personal recreation and entertainment with team bonding and collaboration.
Urban orienteering and cross-country orienteering
The most distinct difference is that urban orienteering takes place within cities, with less complexity and difficulty compared to cross-country orienteering. Urban orienteering is typically held as a competition, often emphasizing cultural and entertainment aspects, resembling a “treasure hunt” game.
Canyoning:
An adventure sport involving traveling between the upper and lower sections of a canyon stream, overcoming various terrain obstacles, reaching the source of the water, and ascending to the mountain peak. Its thrill and enjoyment come from continuously conquering one rapid, waterfall, drop, or whirlpool after another, moving forward against the current. Of course, specialized gear and techniques are essential, and close teamwork is critical. As the activity takes place entirely in water—sometimes wading, sometimes swimming—even a short stretch of canyon can be quite challenging to traverse.
Exploration:
Many outdoor recreational activities involve elements of exploration, often classified as extreme or sub-extreme sports, offering great challenges and thrills. Embracing nature and pushing one’s limits fosters personal perseverance, teamwork, and enhances survival skills in the wild.
Hiking:
Also called trekking, hillwalking, or backpacking, it is not the casual walking people usually do nor the competitive racewalking seen in sports, but rather purposeful walking in suburban areas of cities. While it doesn’t necessarily involve reaching mountaintops, it is closely related to mountain climbing and trekking, and the two activities are often combined. Both mountain climbing and trekking require specific gear such as specialized hiking boots and windproof jackets. Enthusiasts also need to prepare certain food and tools, such as knives and compasses.
Diving:
Refers to all underwater activities. This includes scuba diving using surface-supplied air from a compressor; self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving where divers carry their own breathing systems; and free diving without any breathing equipment, using only light gear.
Surfing:
A water sport where surfers ride waves using a surfboard. The main equipment includes the surfboard and a safety rope attached to the foot.
Fishing:
A method of catching fish. The main tools used in fishing are fishing rods and bait. Fishing rods are generally made from bamboo or lightweight yet sturdy plastic materials. The rod and bait are connected with fishing line. Common bait includes worms, rice, vegetable leaves, flies, maggots, and nowadays there are also specially made baits available for sale. Bait can be directly tied to the line, but using a hook is better, especially hooks designed for specific fish species. A float is also helpful. Scattering some bean dregs on the water's surface can attract more fish.
BMX:
BMX (bicycle motocross) originated in California, USA, in the 1960s. Inspired by motorcycle motocross, young people began racing bicycles on self-built tracks, quickly gaining their first wave of fans.
In 1978, BMX made its way to Europe; in 1982, the first BMX World Championships were held; in 1993, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) officially recognized BMX as a new discipline; and in 2003, the International Olympic Committee voted to include BMX as an official event in the Beijing Olympics. What started as an adrenaline-filled game for youths thus ascended to the highest stage of the sporting world.