On April 25, the Xinjiang Mountaineering Management Center held a promotion meeting on mountaineering and outdoor safety management in Xinjiang. Over 50 participants attended, including Zulong Kelimu, Deputy Director of the Autonomous Region Sports Bureau; Zhang Gongmin, Secretary of the Xinjiang Mountaineering Management Center; Chen Zhongliang, Director of the Xinjiang Mountaineering Management Center; leaders of various outdoor sports rescue teams; team leaders from outdoor sports clubs; and cadres and employees of the mountaineering center.
The meeting first introduced the recent Fifth National Seminar on Mountain Accident Investigation and Rescue Technology Training held in Shenzhen, conveying the speech spirit of Wang Yongfeng, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Mountaineering Association, who emphasized “strengthening technical training and exchanges, and improving China’s mountaineering and outdoor rescue efforts.” Representatives from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Outdoor Sports Rescue Team, the Xinjiang Mountaineering Friends Rescue Team, and the Xinjiang Red Cross Blue Sky Rescue Team shared their experiences in mountaineering and outdoor rescue work over recent years.
According to the Mountain Accident Investigation Report published by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, between 1957 and 2000—over 43 years—there were a total of 33 deaths related to mountaineering and outdoor sports. During these 43 years, as outdoor sports were not yet widely practiced in China and participation was extremely limited, most mountain-related fatalities were due to high-altitude mountain climbing. From 2001 to 2012, over 12 years, the total number of deaths from mountaineering and outdoor sports reached 265, including 41 deaths from high-altitude mountain climbing and 224 from outdoor sports activities. In 2012 alone, there were 45 mountain-related fatalities, comprising 4 deaths from high-altitude climbing and 41 from outdoor sports. The number of deaths in mountaineering and outdoor accidents in 2012 reached an unprecedented 45, including 4 missing and 3 deaths in Xinjiang. These alarming figures serve as another stark reminder of the value of life.
To ensure the safe and healthy development of mountaineering and outdoor activities, promote the concepts of scientific and safe fitness, establish a robust and effective mountaineering and outdoor rescue system, and safeguard the public’s enjoyment of outdoor fitness and happiness, Zulong Kelimu, Deputy Director of the Autonomous Region Sports Bureau, urged the Xinjiang Mountaineering Management Center—as the region’s governing body for mountaineering and outdoor sports—to promptly develop plans and measures. These should mobilize all sectors of society to extensively promote knowledge and concepts of scientific and safe outdoor practices, instill the belief that life is paramount and safety is above all, and ensure the principle of “being fully prepared before setting out” is embraced by all participants. The center should also enhance the training of outdoor sports instructors and team leaders, tailoring content and standards to the characteristics of Xinjiang’s mountaineering and outdoor environments. It must quickly establish coordination with government rescue agencies and civilian rescue groups, integrating mountaineering and outdoor rescue into the region’s overall rescue framework. In line with the guidelines set by the Chinese Mountaineering Association for rescue work, conditions should be created to promptly establish a training base for mountaineering and outdoor rescue in Xinjiang, providing facilities for training and offering a platform for information and technical exchange. Furthermore, in accordance with the Chinese Mountaineering Association’s vision to form a national mountaineering and outdoor rescue alliance, the center should leverage the advantages of the three already established local rescue teams to actively join the national alliance. This will enable access to guidance and support in funding, equipment, personnel training, and resource sharing for rescue operations.
Initiative on “Promoting Scientific Fitness and Advocating Safe Outdoor Activities”
To all mountaineering associations and outdoor sports clubs:
Xinjiang, located in the northwest of China, boasts unique climatic conditions and abundant mountainous resources, attracting outdoor and mountaineering enthusiasts from both home and abroad every year for hiking and climbing. Here, they experience the unique charm of beautiful Xinjiang and serve as a vital bridge in promoting the region. In recent years, with the accelerated pace of the Western Development Strategy and growing public enthusiasm for outdoor sports, the number of outdoor enthusiasts has exploded, estimated at around 3 million participants annually. Among them, over 1.2 million regularly engage in outdoor activities in mountains, valleys, deserts, and high-altitude regions, a figure that continues to rise rapidly.
Alongside the growing outdoor community, incidents of outdoor accidents have also increased due to inadequate guidance and management, particularly stemming from insufficient awareness of outdoor risks and lack of knowledge about outdoor sports. Last year alone, Xinjiang saw over 20 documented or near-miss cases of getting lost or falling during outdoor activities, along with four major incidents resulting in seven fatalities due to a lack of professional knowledge and non-standard practices. These tragedies have caused significant loss to families and society, as well as a tremendous waste of public resources.
As the weather warms and the May Day holiday approaches, Xinjiang enters another active period for outdoor sports. To advocate for correct and healthy outdoor practices, promote the safe and standardized conduct of outdoor activities, and reduce or prevent outdoor accidents, the Xinjiang Mountaineering Association and all outdoor club leaders hereby propose the following initiatives:
First, we hope that every team leader of an outdoor club will strictly adhere to the principles of outdoor sports.
Follow relevant management protocols, meticulously plan, comprehensively assess, and carefully execute each activity. Perfect the details, eliminate potential hazards, and minimize outdoor risks. Without approval, do not organize climbs of peaks above 3,500 meters.
Second, we hope that every outdoor sports enthusiast will strengthen their understanding of outdoor sports knowledge.
Improve physical fitness, enhance outdoor skills and knowledge, and make thorough psychological, physiological, and material preparations before engaging in outdoor activities to lay a solid foundation for safe participation. Practice scientific fitness: first-time outdoor participants should aim to keep each hike under five hours in duration and no more than 10 kilometers in distance.
Third, outdoor activities require meticulous planning and strict management. We hope every organizer will carefully plan and implement each activity, assessing weather, terrain, and participants’ physical conditions beforehand, and avoid organizing activities beyond one’s capability or those lacking certainty.
Fourth, we recommend that outdoor sports enthusiasts purchase outdoor insurance before their trips. Trekking through mountains to connect with nature is a high-risk activity, which correspondingly increases the likelihood of injuries, falls, and other accidents. Purchasing suitable outdoor insurance for the duration of your trip can provide essential safety coverage and reduce complications in case of emergencies.
Fifth, we hope all outdoor organizations and clubs will strengthen the management of outdoor activity organization and implementation, reinforce the professional knowledge, leadership skills, and responsibilities of team leaders, and provide clear guidance and education to participants on safety awareness, risk management, and injury prevention to ensure safe outdoor activities.
Sixth, we hope the entire society, including the media, government, and social organizations, will pay greater attention to outdoor safety, enhance the construction of both soft and hard outdoor environments, offer more positive, constructive, and standardized guidance for outdoor activities, and foster a safe and supportive atmosphere for their conduct.
Outdoor sports are healthy but involve risks. However, accidents are not inevitable. We call on all outdoor organizations, team leaders, and enthusiasts to take joint action—guiding through mindset, improving through shared knowledge, enhancing through mutual skill-building, and communicating effectively with relevant authorities—to create a favorable environment for outdoor sports development. Let us all fully enjoy the beauty and joy outdoor activities bring, enabling more enthusiasts to climb higher and go further.
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Mountaineering Association
April 25, 2013