April 4, 2013,“Zhongkun Cup”The Beijing-Tianjin University Rock Climbing Invitational Tournament grandly opened at the climbing wall of the First Stadium by Weiming Lake on the Peking University campus.
The PKUMA is the first student organization in China focused primarily on mountaineering and rock climbing, and it is also one of the most capable student mountaineering groups in the country. In previous years, the PKUMA would hold an Outdoor Skills Competition on this date. With the support of outdoor clubs from universities across the country and the efforts of generations of PKUMA members, the Outdoor Skills Competition has been successfully held for seven years. As the PKUMA had just built a new climbing wall last September with sponsorship from the Zhongkun Group — featuring more challenging overhanging structures and a standard international speed climbing route — it was only natural that this year the PKUMA chose a new format: the Beijing-Tianjin University Rock Climbing Invitational Tournament. This platform provided an opportunity for rock climbing enthusiasts from various universities to come together, share climbing experiences, exchange ideas, and showcase the beauty of "rock ballet," actively promoting this sport that builds willpower, challenges the self, and requires technical skill. SALEWA (a leading outdoor brand and the PKUMA’s primary technical equipment partner) also prepared generous prizes for the participants.
More than fifty athletes from twelve universities in Beijing and Tianjin participated in the competition, showcasing their skills on the PKUMA climbing wall. The event took place during the Qingming Festival, known for its “drizzling rain,” with the spring breeze slightly chilly, but the enthusiasm of the participants was not dampened by the weather. By Weiming Lake, the atmosphere was lively with crowds of visitors, and the climbers were equally spirited. Their impressive performances drew waves of gasps and cheers from the audience.
The women’s speed preliminary round kicked off first, with the athletes’ vigorous climbs setting a strong opening tone for the competition, quickly igniting the audience’s excitement as they watched the climbers leap and bound upward.
At 9:00 AM sharp, the host announced the opening of the tournament. Representatives from the Peking University Department of Physical Education and the Peking University Student Organizations Division of the Communist Youth League attended. During the opening ceremony, a leader from Peking University delivered a speech, wishing the climbing invitational success. Sun Bin, principal of the co-organizing Peak Outdoor Sports School and a veteran member of the PKUMA, also recalled his unforgettable memories with the PKUMA during his school days and offered his best wishes for the competition.
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Speech by Sun Bin, principal of the co-organizing Peak Outdoor Sports School and a veteran member of the PKUMA
After the opening ceremony, the men’s and women’s difficulty preliminary rounds were held simultaneously. The men’s preliminary took place on the south wall, which features overhangs and negative angles — terrain that seems nearly insurmountable to the average person. However, as each climber took their turn, the challenging sections were overcome one after another, drawing increasingly loud screams and cheers from the spectators. The women’s competition on the east wall was equally thrilling, featuring both cautious climbers who meticulously handled each move and bold athletes who attacked the wall with decisive, explosive moves, keeping the audience constantly shifting their focus to catch all the action.
After all the competitors finished their rounds, Jiang Rong, the national women’s rock climbing champion, performed a demonstration climb on both the women’s and men’s difficulty preliminary routes. As a key member of the national climbing team, her skilled techniques and fluid movements truly embodied the essence of “rock ballet,” leaving the audience “stunned.”
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Photo of national women’s rock climbing champion Jiang Rong’s climbing performance
The men’s speed preliminary round followed, and compared to the elegance of the women, the men brought a wild energy. The audience watched intently, afraid to blink lest they miss a spectacular dive.
After a lunch break, the afternoon began with the women’s speed finals. The athletes demonstrated their true capabilities, dancing gracefully up the wall. The battle for first and second place was especially intense, with the two competitors evenly matched. In the end, the difference in their top times was just 0.5 seconds.
The subsequent men’s and women’s difficulty finals were even more fiercely competitive and spectacular. On the wall, spectators held their breath as one climber executed a dynamic move — leaping with both hands and feet off the holds in an attempt to grab a higher hold. Before their eyes could fully register what happened, a wave of cheers erupted as the perfect dynamic move succeeded. One male climber finally overcame a crux that had stumped earlier competitors, charging forward fearlessly, sending the spectator area into an uproar.
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Photo of the crowd gathered intently to watch the competition
After the difficulty finals, Ma Zida, the national men’s rock climbing and bouldering double champion, demonstrated a climb on the men’s difficulty final route. He moved with ease, and at the large overhang that had stumped many experts, he astonishingly powered through with a single-arm pull-up, his athletic form earning admiration from everyone present.
The final event, the men’s speed finals, was equally thrilling. Despite light rain, the audience’s enthusiasm did not wane. The climbers dashed up the wall as if flying, reaching the top in just a few moves, with the champion finishing in just 17.29 seconds. The athletes gave their all, while the stands erupted non-stop with cheers.
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Photo of athletes competing in the women’s difficulty finals on the south wall
The day passed all too quickly, ending before anyone could fully savor it. The athletes’ agile forms on the wall remained vivid in everyone’s memory. At the closing ceremony, Quentin, representative of SALEWA (the prize sponsor and head of SALEWA China’s Marketing Department), delivered a speech congratulating the successful hosting of the invitational and presented awards to the winners. Finally, Luo Qi from Tianjin University of Sport won the women’s speed championship, while Hu Yue from the same university claimed the women’s difficulty title. The men’s speed and difficulty champions were Chen Jingyuan and Yang Huibin from China University of Geosciences (Beijing), respectively. Prizes included backpacks, climbing pants, climbing shoes, windproof softshells, and more, all provided by the top outdoor brand SALEWA. At the end of the ceremony, Quentin extended a sincere invitation to the champions to participate in the upcoming SALEWA ROCKSHOW climbing competition. Without a doubt, this will be another excellent platform for climbing enthusiasts and another visual feast — we can’t wait to see it.
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Photo of athletes and staff posing together after the competition
Happy times always come to an end, but the joy and inspiration they bring last much longer. The successful hosting of the tournament effectively enhanced exchanges among university outdoor clubs and contributed to the popularization and development of rock climbing among college students. At the same time, we have every reason to look forward to an even more exciting event next year.