Due to time constraints, we weren’t able to take a group photo with all participants present. This photo was taken at the end of the training during the slope descent experience. It’s a pity that some participants had already left.
Those two leaves really know how to steal the spotlight. Hehe.
I gave a demonstration of slope descending. The descent platform is about 4.5 meters high—hardly a real descent, just more of a trial experience. On the morning of the 11th, after the gear knowledge lecture, we started the rock climbing experience. Forum moderator Shasha specially came to cheer us on. Two friends made it to the top—one was Instant Memory, who reached the summit twice, and the other was Pum. Pum became the first person to reach the top in flip-flops—truly impressive stamina from both of them. Of course, the presence of the beautiful supporters played a decisive role. At noon, we had a barbecue in the woods, and I enjoyed the lamb leg everyone brought—so tasty it left me dripping with grease. In the afternoon, the knot-tying lesson and slope descent practice went smoothly. Since everyone drove here themselves, Sister Shan Ying treated us to local specialties in town for dinner. Not only did she generously provide watermelon for the participants, but she also brought a pot of fine red wine. Fisherman Brother also brought yellow wine to liven things up, and Brother Li brought his own white liquor. With all the delicious food and drinks, I completely lost control over the already hungry and thirsty participants.
Despite my repeated warnings against drinking, about half of the alcohol remained, reserved for the celebration dinner. Managing a group of friends as participants is no easy task. I wonder if the participants noticed, but due to your drinking, I had to adjust the next day’s schedule accordingly—the wear-resistant clothing wasn’t used. Safety always comes first. I believe you all understand. I also hope that in future trainings, everyone will refrain from drinking. That night’s session was postponed to the next morning. After eating and drinking our fill, we opted to camp in the wild. A blessing in disguise—as a result, many participants got to enjoy a relaxing soak in the hot springs, while those of us who stayed at the campsite experienced another kind of fun: blindfolded glowstick games, playing poker, listening to music, late-night snacks, watching fireworks, spotting the North Star, and reading articles. The 12th was Mother’s Day, and I happened to come across an article expressing gratitude to mothers. I printed it out, originally planning to move everyone to tears—but halfway through reading it, I was the one moved to tears and couldn’t continue reading in a normal tone. It turns out that the setting affects how you read an article—no wonder ancient scholars chose the most atmospheric corners of their homes for their studies. I couldn’t help but wonder if being outdoors makes the words themselves more touching? I couldn’t see the back side, but when I saw the front side, the sight of falling leaves made my tears uncontrollable. Prairie Brother tried to hold back his tears while saying I’m an emotional person. I think if he knew the whole point of my reading was to make him cry, he’d… hehe.
Amidst the debate over whether that star was the North Star, Ursa Major, or Ursa Minor, we fell asleep. We had planned to start at 7 AM, with the class beginning at 8 AM. But diligent participants started bothering me as early as 6 AM, which also saved my tentmate—Instant Memory. His sleeping bag was lent out, he had no pillow, and he ended up curled up, snoring all night. In the morning, I felt my nose was blocked, and I realized my tentmate just didn’t have much camping experience. After adjusting my head a bit, it was fine—the shy guy had tormented me all night. To save each person 10 yuan on meals, Luo Ye and Prairie Brother arranged for us to dine at a nearby farmhouse. It took us at least 20 minutes to get there. It reminded me of the simple home-cooked meals from the days of harder times—it’s been a while since I’ve had such an experience, and doing it again brought back a lot of feelings. While secretly rejoicing over saving those 10 yuan, I complained about having to walk so far. At 8:30 AM, the class officially began. We were fortunate to have Pum Li Ge, the founder of Tianxingjian, observe the training. The resources couldn’t go to waste, especially since he had just arrived at the Ya’an frontline as a rescuer the previous day and had been working there for eight days. I learned a lot from his earthquake knowledge lecture, though I hope the knowledge he shared will never have to be used. Orienting, measuring distance, and timing were condensed into simple orienteering, and the emergency courses were trimmed down to just falls and getting lost. At 11:15 AM, we arrived at the slope descent site, where everyone successfully completed the descent experience from a height of about 4.5 meters.
Finally, by a little after 1 PM, all theoretical and practical courses were completed. As the saying goes, you can tell a horse or a mule by putting it to the test. Based on practical performance, three outstanding participants were selected. The first place, by actual performance, should have gone to Pum, but since he was here just to observe, he voluntarily gave up the honor, making Shan Ying the first-place winner. The second place went to Luo Ye, and the third to Green Leaf. After the awards, we returned together and ate local specialties—fish—on the way. Since I was busy organizing the training, almost no on-site photos were taken. I ask the participants who were there to help supplement those.