There is a group of people who are cheerful, easy to get along with, have strong team spirit, perseverance, and a sense of responsibility. They enjoy self-challenge and can endure hardship... Yes, they are a group of rock climbing enthusiasts. It is understood that there are currently about 20,000 rock climbing enthusiasts nationwide. As rock climbing becomes more and more popular, it is believed that more people will participate.
Rock climbing: It’s not about age, it’s about passion
Rock climbing is such a sport — it has nothing to do with age. As long as you like it, just go for it！
11-year-old Ashima Shiraishi completed two 8c+ routes in two days, over-50 Stevie Haston made the first ascent of a 9a route, and Fred Beckey returned to multi-pitch climbing just before his 90th birthday... More and more data and facts continue to prove to us: rock climbing ability really has nothing to do with age.
Climber Age and Difficulty Trend Chart (2007–2012)
This chart compares the age distribution of climbers who redpointed routes of varying difficulty levels between 2007 and 2012. Produced by the international climbing website 8a, the horizontal axis represents age, and the vertical axis represents route difficulty grade. The biggest trend shown is that climbers completing high-difficulty routes are getting younger, especially in 2012. If this trend continues, in the future, the skill level of children under ten and older climbers may match that of young adults aged 20–35, and age distinctions in climbing may become increasingly blurred.
Driving Force One: The Climbing Community — Nanjing climbers plan to open a “Warriors’ Home” kids' experience center
The promotion model of rock climbing in China is mainly “friends bringing friends.” Many people may be very interested in climbing through movies or other means, but unfortunately, they can’t find a climbing group or meet experienced climbers to guide them, making it difficult to enter the climbing circle. This has become a major challenge in the popularization of rock climbing in China.
Li Tongxing, a Nanjing climber known as the “Asian Spider-Man,” owns a dynamic climbing lifestyle center (located near Nanjing Normal University). He is also a mid-level instructor, assessor, and climbing teacher certified by the Chinese Mountaineering Association. Through observations of those who visit the center and become members, Li Tongxing found that more and more teenagers and even young children show great interest in climbing. So he considered whether a “Warriors’ Home” kids' experience center could be set up within a children’s career experience center, aiming to let children experience skills like climbing, archery, and outdoor activities. The goal is to cultivate perseverance, determination, and endurance from an early age, while also teaching them some wilderness survival and outdoor gear usage skills, allowing children to learn knowledge through play. This plan is set to be trialed in 2015 in Xuancheng, Wuhu, Hefei, and other places in Anhui Province. Li Tongxing expressed hope that a suitable location can also be found in Nanjing soon.
Driving Force Two: Outdoor Brands — KAILAS’s “Stars of Hope” climbing flame is spreading
Looking back to the early 1990s, when grassroots climbing as a personal spontaneous activity faced numerous obstacles in terms of events, training, and sponsorship. Some forward-thinking brands have continuously promoted the development of climbing. Among them, the KAILAS brand, which has been sponsoring and supporting climbing for nearly nine years, deserves special mention. KAILAS has successfully hosted major events such as the East China Climbing Carnival and the National Youth Climbing Championships. It has launched projects including the “KAILAS Climbing Team Program,” “China KAILAS Unclimbed Peaks Program,” “KAILAS Outdoor Coach Development Program,” “KAILAS Mountaineering and Exploration School,” and “Rock Operation Training Camp.” In the nine years since its development in China, KAILAS has participated in and sponsored numerous grassroots climbing competitions, earning unanimous praise and widespread acclaim from professional mountaineering and outdoor communities.
The partnership plan for the national youth climbing promotion campaign “Stars of Hope” climbing continued from 2014 to 2017, with KAILAS becoming the title sponsor of this event. In 2014, the “Stars of Hope” activities were held at 88 venues across 50 cities, and as the campaign expanded, it reached a wider and larger group of young climbers.
Safety Assurance — National Outdoor Safety Education Program Public Lecture Tour
In 2014, the public lecture tour of the “National Outdoor Safety Education Program” organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association was held in cities such as Shanghai, Chengdu, and Tianjin. Its main purpose was to promote the outdoor safety principle of “safe outdoor, enjoy nature” and environmental protection concepts. Ding Xianghua, Director of the Climbing and Ice Climbing Department of the Chinese Mountaineering Association, revealed that China's climbing movement aims to expand the climbing population from 20,000 to 100,000 in five years, reach one million climbers in 20 years, and ten million in 40 years.
Review | Domestic Climbing Competitions from August to December 2014:
[The 7th KAILAS Cup National Youth Climbing Championships Were a Huge Hit]
On August 23, 2014, the 7th KAILAS Cup National Youth Climbing Championships, hosted by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, continued at the Liu Changzhong Climbing Gym in Suzhou Dushu Lake Sports Center. The rankings for ten categories, including men's bouldering and women's lead climbing, were decided. Hong Kong athletes excelled in the men’s youth bouldering competition, sweeping the top three spots. The competition was intense and exciting, with many parents and spectators cheering on the young participants, reflecting the healthy development of youth climbing in China.
[Selection Competition for the 2016 World University Climbing Championships Team Was Held]
From August 29–30, 2014, the selection competition for the Chinese University Student Representative Team for the 2016 World University Climbing Championships and the 2nd Inner Mongolia Bogqil (wrestling) Championship were grandly held in Jining District, Ulanqab City. The event was co-hosted by the Climbing Branch of the Chinese University Sports Association, the Inner Mongolia Professional Bogqil Competition Federation, and the People’s Government of Jining District, Ulanqab City. The competition aimed to select team members for the first World University Climbing Championships in 2016. It featured four categories: men’s lead, women’s lead, men’s speed, and women’s speed, with over 60 athletes from ten top national climbing universities participating. After two days of preliminaries and finals, the top eight athletes in each category advanced to the Chinese University Climbing Training Squad. Experts and coaches then conducted comprehensive evaluations to select 14 athletes to represent China at the first World University Climbing Championships in Shanghai in 2016.
[The Highest-Level Event of the International Federation of Sport Climbing — China Wujiang Fenhu World Cup Climbing Competition]
The highest-level event of the International Federation of Sport Climbing, the 2014 “Wujiang Rural Commercial Bank Cup” China Wujiang Fenhu World Cup Climbing Competition, held its men’s speed final on October 19, 2014. Chinese athlete Zhong Qixin, who was not favored before the competition, fought through the rounds and ultimately defeated Czech star Libor with a time of 6.02 seconds to win the men’s speed championship.
[The 2014 National Stars of Hope Climbing Finals Crown the Annual Hope Stars]
The 2014 KAILAS National Stars of Hope Climbing Finals, co-hosted by the Chinese Mountaineering Association and the Guangzhou Municipal Sports Bureau, lasted two days and concluded on November 8, 2014, at the Climbing Venue of the Guangzhou University Town Sports Center. Chen Zhi Xuan, Pang Runlin, Huang Di, Ping Wei, Shi Pinghan, and Ma Tijun won the annual Hope Star titles in their respective categories. Wang Qiang, Xu Qihao, Yang Ziyan, Cen Meng, Wang Miaomiao, and Zhu Zhuquan were awarded the Hope Star Runner-Up titles. Chen Yijun, head of the Chinese Youth Climbing Division of the Chinese Mountaineering Association, introduced, “‘Hope Star’ aims to implement the national strategy of ‘sports power and healthy China,’ promoting the development of the climbing sport and expanding its popularity and influence. In 2014, the Hope Star activities held 130 youth climbing promotion events, with about 30,000 youths experiencing climbing.”
[2014 National Climbing Divisional Finals Conclude in Guangzhou]
On the evening of November 11, 2014, the 2014 National Climbing Divisional Finals, co-hosted by the Chinese Mountaineering Association and the Guangzhou Municipal Sports Bureau, concluded after three days of fierce competition at the Climbing Venue of the Guangzhou University Town Sports Center. Qu Haibin of the Shanghai Stadium Climbing Sports Center team and Ren Qinglham of the Tibet Autonomous Region Sports Bureau team won the men’s and women’s lead and bouldering championships respectively, as well as the annual titles in both events.
[Elite Gather at the Capital Indoor Climbing Gym: Competing in the 2014 National Championships]
On December 5, 2014, the “Sohu Cup” 22nd National Climbing Championships, representing the highest level of domestic climbing, were held at the Beijing Capital Indoor Climbing Gym. As the closing event of domestic climbing competitions in 2014, the competition attracted top climbers from across the country. World champions Zhong Qixin and He Cuilian, Asian Championship double champions Ren Qinglham, and other notable athletes competed. Rising stars who stood out in the “2014 National Stars of Hope” also made their debuts, and amateur climbing experts showcased their skills in the bouldering competition. The three-day event featured an impressive lineup of elite climbers and non-stop excitement. Among them, Mazda swept all three men’s titles.