Reporters learned from the Tibet Autonomous Region Sports Bureau on the 24th that well-known athletes, including Olympic champions Chen Yibing and Yang Ling, will take part in the 11th Tibet Mountaineering Conference 2013, joining mountaineers from across the country to experience the unique thrill of climbing snow-capped peaks.
Ni Ma Ciren, deputy director of the Tibet Autonomous Region Sports Bureau and the overall commander of this year’s mountaineering conference, told reporters that Chen Yibing, the Olympic champion in the rings event at the Beijing Olympics, Yang Ling, the two-time Olympic champion in the 10m running target event at Atlanta and Sydney, short track speed skating star Fu Tianyu, and renowned wrestler Xu Qing, among others, will participate in the mountaineering conference which kicks off on the 26th of this month. They will climb Qizhi II Peak, which stands at an altitude of 5,900 meters.
Ni Ma Ciren said that this is the first time since the Tibet Mountaineering Conference was launched in 2001 that Olympic champions have been invited to take part in the event. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first human ascent of Mount Everest. The conference aims not only to build the Tibet mountaineering brand and carry forward the spirit of mountaineering but also to pay tribute to the older generation of mountaineering heroes. At the same time, the participation of Olympic champions and other well-known athletes will provide opportunities for local Tibetan athletes and sports professionals to learn and exchange with their peers.
On May 29, 1953, New Zealand explorer Edmund Hillary and Nepali guide Tenzing Norgay successfully summited Mount Everest from the southern slope in Nepal, marking the first time human footprints were left on the “roof of the world.” On May 25, 1960, Chinese mountaineering heroes Wang Fuzhou, Gongbu, and Qu Yinhua reached the summit from the northern slope within China for the first time.
In addition to the aforementioned well-known athletes, popular actor Chen Kun and New Weekly founder Sun Mian will also participate in this year’s mountaineering conference, with their climbing goal also set as Qizhi II Peak.
According to Ni Ma Ciren, as of now, more than 60 mountaineers from across the country have signed up for this year’s conference. They will be divided into groups to climb Qizhi II Peak and Qizhi Peak, which stands at an altitude of 6,206 meters. Currently, preparatory work for the conference is largely complete. Experienced members of the Tibet Mountaineering Team and students from the Tibet Mountaineering School will serve as coaches and support staff for the conference. A group of veteran members of the Tibet Mountaineering Team will once again “come out of retirement” to provide training courses for participants, while interactions and exchanges will also take place between the general mountaineers and the well-known athletes.
According to reports, Qizhi Peak and Qizhi II Peak are located in the western section of the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountain Range. The surrounding area features pleasant scenery, snow-capped peaks, moderate climbing
Since its inception, the Tibet Mountaineering Conference has grown to include over 700 Chinese amateur mountaineers who have trained and honed their skills here. The event has become an important gateway for Chinese outdoor enthusiasts to enter the world of mountaineering, providing them with rare training and practical opportunities, as well as a chance to challenge higher altitudes. (Reporter: Wang Yunjia)