Training photos of Peking University’s 2014 Camel Mountaineering Team
In the sweltering heat of July, while we’re enjoying the air-conditioning in our offices or relaxing on the beach, there’s a group of students braving danger and hardship on snow-capped mountains thousands of meters high. As summer approaches, Peking University’s Mountain Eagle Society is also gearing up for its annual mountaineering and scientific research season.
With the support of outdoor brand CAMEL, Peking University’s 2014 Camel Mountaineering Team was established on April 21. Their initial target is the Sangdankangsang Snow Mountain in the heart of Tibet, standing at 6,590 meters above sea level. The snow there is relatively soft, featuring steep icy slopes and a few crevasses, making it of medium to high difficulty.
To prepare for the climb, Peking University’s 2014 Camel Mountaineering Team has undergone five weeks of hellish training in strength, endurance, and technical skills, aiming to comprehensively enhance the practical abilities of both new and veteran members.
Hellish Strength Training – Challenging Limits
As night falls, the members of the Camel Mountaineering Team continue to sweat it out on the training ground. There are numerous strength training exercises, including leg raises, sit-ups, back lifts, push-ups, and pull-ups/locks. New and veteran members help and guide each other, with the intense training drawing out cries of pain, yet cheers of “Keep it up!” boost morale as they push past their limits again and again.
The training is extremely grueling, and it’s common for senior members to bring fruits for the team. The members say eating fruit after training is “sweetness after bitterness.” New and veteran members also conduct training reviews together and help each other relax their legs, waists, and shoulders.
Hellish Endurance Training – Weighted Stair Climbing
At least five sessions of weighted stair climbing are conducted, with male members carrying 20/25 kilograms and females 18/20 kilograms. After every 40 minutes of climbing, there’s a short break to replenish water and salt, and each training session requires completing 2–3 sets. Team members take turns leading, while others strive to overtake the leader. The Camel Mountaineering Team has an unwritten rule: when you overtake someone, you must say “Keep it up!” to encourage them. Often, after a round, the members are drenched in sweat, almost exhausted, but after a brief rest and hydration, they continue climbing. Beads of sweat pour down as they grit their teeth and cheer themselves on, breaking through their limits again and again.
Weighted stair climbing is conducted once a week, mainly to simulate continuous weighted climbing on snow mountains, enhancing the team’s endurance and load-bearing capacity—but more importantly, their willpower. The snow mountain is unforgiving, treating everyone equally, regardless of gender or experience. Climbs often involve hours of continuous ascent, along with harsh conditions like freezing temperatures, thin air, strong winds, and deep snow, requiring not only excellent physical condition but also firm resolve and tenacity. There aren’t many training opportunities before the climb, so every session sees the team pushing themselves exceptionally hard.
Technical Training and Quality Development Exercises
Peking University’s Mountain Eagle Society 2014 Camel Mountaineering Team conducted professional technical training in descent on the school’s artificial rock wall, along with quality development exercises such as trust falls and electric grid escape drills. These aim to enhance mutual understanding among team members, strengthen teamwork, and improve crisis management skills.
Peking University’s 2014 Camel Mountaineering Team conducts descent and other training
After five consecutive weeks of training, the members of Peking University’s 2014 Camel Mountaineering Team have seen improvements in strength, endurance, willpower, teamwork, and cohesion. After this training camp, the members will face final exams. Those preparing for exams will still need to arrange their training schedules according to their own situations, maintaining good physical condition to tackle the climbing challenge.
A young member of the Mountain Eagle Society said, “Every hellish training session leaves us exhausted, but we gain a sense of achievement from pushing our limits. Encouragement from teammates gives us motivation. After repeated training, everyone is eagerly looking forward to the real journey.”