2015yearKOLONThe China Mountaineering School was established. Over three years of development,KOLONChina Mountaineering Schoolnot only has a highly qualified faculty of Chinese instructors, but also has trained a large number of outstanding students, earning an excellent reputation in both performance and word of mouth. On the occasion ofKOLONthe China Mountaineering Schoolbeing established3for its anniversary, we had the privilege to interviewKOLON SPORTMr. Sun Bingyu, General Manager of KOLON SPORT China, who provided us with a detailed explanation ofthe mountaineering school’s development over the past three years.
:KOLON It’s already been three years since the mountaineering school came to China. What changes have taken place during these three years?
Sun Bingyu: Our first class was held in2015year4month, and it was an outdoor basics course. The school is built on the technical foundation accumulated from traditional outdoor climbing, and we hope to deliver correct climbing techniques and outdoor safety skills through a teaching program that effectively combines theory and practice. In fact, our goal in starting classes and establishing the school in China is to bring mature, systematic outdoor training courses and culture to China and help them thrive. This aligns with the brand’s philosophy and spirit, which emphasizes corporate social responsibility and giving back to society.
Initially, the mountaineering school offered only an outdoor basics courseand a basic rock climbing course. After three years of development, it has nowupgradedthe rock climbingcourse and addedan ice climbing course. As of2016year, more thanKOLONthe China Mountaineering Schoolhas graduated over500students,2017and the number of graduates is expected to reach300by year.Considering the large number of outdoor enthusiasts across the country, starting from last year,KOLON the training locations of the Mountaineering Schoolare no longer limited to Beijing but have expanded to include Shanghai and Wuhan. In terms of teaching, in addition to our existing rock climbing courses, we have added content on emergency response and first aid, thereby improving the overall quality of the curriculum.
:KOLONChina Mountaineering SchoolWhat are your plans for the next few years?
Sun Bingyu: What I just described is the journey we've taken over the past three years. Looking ahead, our goal is to further strengthen the professionalism of the school, especially in the field of rock climbing. In Korea, there are formal week-long rock climbing classes, and we are currently planning to introduce this program to China, allowing students from both China and Korea to learn together, hoping to make a positive contribution to cultural exchange between the two countries. In addition,2018the Mountaineering School will add snow-related courses in [year], and we will select locations with thick snow suitable for teaching and training to teach everyone how to climb and survive.2019In [year], we plan to introduce high-altitude climbing courses and Himalayan-style mountaineering courses, providing specialized training for experienced high-altitude climbers. Such courses are currently only available in Korea, typically as2-week programs. We hope to2019offer them simultaneously in China and Korea by [year].
Sun Bingyu: For the courses that have already been formalized, almost all are taught by Chinese instructors, with very little involvement from Korean instructors now. If new courses are added, some Korean teachers may provide guidance. Moreover, our plan is to have all courses taught by Chinese instructors, as we believe eliminating language barriers will make the instruction more direct, effective, and accurate.
Our instructor team consists of highly skilled climbers with extensive teaching experience. Currently, the Chinese team has15instructors. Their technical abilities are beyond question. What we need to teach them is how to instruct — the skills of teaching. As a school, we must ensure that all students, regardless of which instructor they learn from, receive systematic and coherent knowledge.
Ultimately, our goal is the same: to provide the best and highest-level instruction. Therefore, we also continuously update our instructors with the latest climbing techniques, allowing our teaching team to access and understand global climbing trends through diverse channels, study and master the latest techniques, and disseminate them to domestic enthusiasts as quickly as possible.
Q: We understand that rock climbing courses are especially popular in China. What do you think is the secret behind their popularity among Chinese climbing enthusiasts?
Sun Bingyu: I’ve personally taken rock climbing courses myself. I have great respect for the abilities and experience of the instructors, not only the Korean ones but the Chinese ones as well. Additionally, Chinese instructors have one particular strength: they are very passionate and are willing to adapt their teaching to local conditions, passing on practical and effective knowledge and experience to students.
Moreover, the configuration of our instructor team is also very strong.For rock climbing courses,30students are assigned a high ratio of instructors per student.This approach is not only to teach students specific climbing techniques and ensure teaching quality, but also to greatly enhance safety during instruction. We consistently emphasize safe teaching — it's not just about teaching climbing skills, but also about safety training and developing safety awareness. Because we want you to not only take on outdoor challenges, but also gain a deeper understanding of life, rather than simply seeking adventure.
We have a mature and comprehensive training system in place. The systematization has reached a very advanced level. Korea’sKOLONMountaineering Schoolwas established in1985and has a history of33years to date. Therefore, its training system and teaching quality are built on a very solid foundation. In South Korea, as of now, there have been1Ten thousand9000graduates. The Korean instructor team includes renowned lecturers and mountaineers from around the world. Chinese and Korean instructors continuously discuss and research how to modernize the training system and upgrade it. The professionalism, training system, and software capabilities are all assured.Regardinghardware,such asthe external environment for trainingand other aspects, we are also raising standards to better suit the Chinese context..For example,each training route is personally developed and designed by the instructor team, and it is not a complete copy of the Korean system and teaching methods. The Chinese instructor team makes appropriateadjustmentsbased on actual conditions to make it more localized.
In summary, the entire mountaineering school is in a continuous process of improvement and enhancement. Just as sometimes people ask me, what is your final alma mater?Which school, I would answerKOLONthe mountaineering school, because I can keep learning new techniques and knowledge here.
What do you think are theKOLONadvantages and characteristicsof the mountaineering school?
Sun Bingyu: Actually, mountaineering is just one type of climbing, but to some extent, the mountaineering school provides us with such a platform in life where everyone can exchange and learn from each other. Here you can meet many people, all kinds of people, and learn certain life lessons. Among my classmates, there are students of various backgrounds—some are from wealthy families, high school students, airplane pilots,dentists. You really get to meet people from many different fields, and everyone can learn from each other. It’s an equal opportunity for all. Mountaineering is a medium, and the mountaineering school can actually be a great university for life. Here, you can not only learn climbing but also gain many insights about life. I believe this isKOLONthe advantage and characteristicof the mountaineering school. Moreover, through learning, graduates from the school are able to excel in their respective fields, and everyone gains a strong sense of achievement.
Q:KOLONThe investment and operational results of the mountaineering school have already achieved remarkable success. What do you think is the significance of the mountaineering school for the brand?
Sun Bingyu: I think it is the foundation of the brand.1973When founding this brand in the year, the president felt it was necessary to emphasize and enhance the mountaineering elements.KOLONMountaineering SchoolThe hope was also to engage in public welfare, promote a correct mountaineering philosophy, and give back to society.2010Before the year, the brand'ssloganwas the innovator of outdoor living, and the establishment of the mountaineering school complemented the brand’s philosophy. Therefore, in the future, the brand will continue to invest more in developing the mountaineering school and uphold the commitment to giving back to society.
Q:KOLONChina Mountaineering SchoolWhat are the plans for the future?
Sun Bingyu: Our mission is how to climb more safely and enjoyably. On this basis, we hope to cultivate more capable leaders, improve professionalism, and elevate the courses to a higher level. Future development will go in two directions: one is more professional, emphasizing technical aspects—such as courses on rock climbing, high-altitude climbing, and the Himalayas—where we will delve deeper into technical training and improve teaching standards. The other is basic outdoor knowledge training. Currently, the two-day-one-night course may evolve into a one-day training in the future, guiding people on how to have fun hiking or climb a nearby small mountain. The goal is to popularize outdoor and hiking knowledge, cultivate more interest among people, and encourage them to venture outdoors more often and more safely. One direction emphasizes greater professionalism, while the other aims to be more accessible and easier to promote. , Technically, we need to conduct in-depth research to improve teaching standards. On the other hand, regarding basic outdoor knowledge training, our current two-day-one-night course may in the future be shortened to one day. This will involve guiding everyone on how to enjoy hiking more, or perhaps climbing a small nearby mountain. The goal is to popularize outdoor and hiking knowledge, cultivate more people’s interest, and encourage them to venture outdoors more often and more safely. One focus is on emphasizing greater professionalism, while the other is to make it more accessible and easier to promote among the general public.
