With the National Day holiday approaching, Sichuan’s Four Girls Mountain is once again expecting a large influx of mountaineering enthusiasts and backpackers. The peak outdoor activity season is also often a time when accidents are more likely to occur. According to reports, out of considerations for safety and other factors, the Four Girls Mountain Administration has decided to suspend the 2013 mountaineering festival. Meanwhile, a comprehensive safety hazard inspection is being carried out to prepare for the “eventful outdoor season” that backpackers often face.
Sichuan boasts some of the best mountain resources in the country, and the number of mountaineering enthusiasts visiting the province has been rising year after year. As one of the earlier mountains opened to the public, Four Girls Mountain has been receiving both domestic and international climbers since 1981. Due to its abundant outdoor activity resources, the Four Girls Mountain Scenic Area is known as an “outdoor paradise.” During previous National Day golden weeks, the scenic area collaborated with well-known outdoor brands to host several large-scale mountaineering festivals.
According to Yang Weitai, director of the Four Girls Mountain Outdoor Activities Management Center, the mountaineering festival has been temporarily suspended this year due to various safety concerns. For the National Day holiday, efforts are currently underway to inspect potential safety hazards related to outdoor activities. These inspections cover the condition of tourist facilities, roads, mountaineering campsites, and hiking routes throughout the scenic area. So far, the overall situation appears to be good, with no significant safety hazards identified.
In recent years, the number of enthusiasts visiting Four Girls Mountain for mountaineering and outdoor activities has been non-stop, but illegal activities have been frequently reported, and safety incidents have occurred from time to time. At the end of 2011, a 14-member outdoor mountaineering team composed of backpackers from Zhejiang, Shanghai, and other places entered Haizi Valley in the Four Girls Mountain Scenic Area. They illegally crossed a prohibited route and lost contact with the outside world for 13 days.
Then, in early 2012, a male backpacker from Fujian fell to his death
Yang Weitai emphasized that if people want to go hiking, "hikers" must first apply for a climbing permit from the sports administrative department. Moreover, whether it’s hiking, rock climbing, ice climbing, or trekking, any outdoor activity must be registered with the Outdoor Activity Management Center of Siguniang Mountain. The center will assist in checking their equipment, confirming safety conditions, and also requires the accompaniment of locally trained and certified guides before any outdoor activity can take place—safety always comes first.
Yang Weitai said, "Once you enter the mountain, the guide will stay in constant contact with the center. The daily itinerary, current location, safety status, whether the summit was reached, and whether everyone has safely returned—all of this will be recorded by the center.
To handle emergencies during the National Day holiday period, the High-Altitude Rescue Team of the Siguniang Mountain Outdoor Activity Management Center will be on standby 24/7. At the same time, the management center has coordinated with the local government to have a militia emergency response team that will operate under unified command.