At the scene of the 6th National Youth Rock Climbing Championships, cheers, encouragement, the shouts of children celebrating successful climbs, and the frustration of mistakes blended together. Despite the hot weather, the enthusiasm of the children was even higher.
This year's National Youth Rock Climbing Championships featured nearly 200 young athletes from 49 teams across the country. The competition included difficulty, speed, and bouldering events, with participants divided into five age groups. The youngest competitor was just 8 years old. It was the largest and highest-level event in the championship’s history.
Since 2009, the Chinese Mountaineering Association has been organizing national youth rock climbing promotion activities. Over the past four years, these efforts have yielded positive results and accumulated extensive experience in promoting the sport. To further advance youth rock climbing, from April to November this year, the association held the 2013 Kailas "Climbing Hope Star" National Youth Rock Climbing Promotion Campaign across 50 venues in 40 cities nationwide, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. The campaign was carried out by local qualified organizations, which introduced, trained, and selected young climbers, naming local “Hope Stars.” These individuals were then invited to national training camps organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, where the national Hope Stars were chosen.
"From just seven venues nationwide holding a one-day event on August 8th back in 2009, we've now grown to this massive scale. Also, the age of young climbers is getting younger, and more and more parents are recognizing rock climbing as a valuable activity," said Cao Rongwu, head coach of the National Youth Rock Climbing Team.
Niu Di from the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) team won both the difficulty and speed events in the women’s A group at this year’s National Youth Championships. She has been involved in climbing since childhood and is not yet 17 years old. She first competed in the National Youth Championships at just 11 years old and has consistently ranked among the top three nationally. Due to her outstanding performance, Niu Di was specially admitted to the China University of Geosciences in June this year. In addition to Niu Di, other talented young climbers have also emerged, such as Tian Peiyang from the Ningxia Mountaineering Association and Li Beiji from the China University of Geosciences (Beijing).
Currently, apart from major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong, western cities such as Yinchuan, Xi'an, Chengdu, and Wuhan are also showing strong growth in youth rock climbing. The “Hope Star” events provide a broader platform for young climbers. "The promotion of youth rock climbing has achieved excellent results, and we will continue to strengthen this area. We will keep refining the formats," said Ding Xianghua, Director of the Climbing and Ice Climbing Department at the Mountaineering Center and Deputy Director of the Organizing Committee for this year’s National Youth Championships. "On top of the international age groups, the National Youth Championships have added two more age categories and also introduced bouldering. Each year during the championships, we hold training sessions for coaches and route setters. We need more excellent coaches and better climbing facilities—both hardware and software need to improve."
Youth are a special group. Their passion for rock climbing can inspire friends, parents, and others to take an interest in the sport. With the ongoing promotion efforts aimed at young people, it is believed that more and more youth will come to love this healthy and uplifting sport and experience the spirit of perseverance and positivity it embodies.