Extending the childhood dream of climbing into adulthood

       After two months, covering most of China across nearly 4,000 kilometers and five stops, the KAILAS “China Climb” rock climbing journey has recently come to a temporary close. For this, I had the privilege of interviewing Zhang Yong, principal of the Yangshuo Climbing School and route-setting team member who had just returned from setting routes in Yingxi Guanyin Valley, renowned climber Qiu Xiang, and high-altitude photography expert Superman. Let’s take a look at the climbing adventure through the eyes of these climbing enthusiasts.
       “China Climb gave me a sense of responsibility”
       Interviewer: Principal Zhang, after months of working with cliffs every day during China Climb, what’s your biggest feeling now that you’re back?

       Zhang Yong: The biggest feeling is exhaustion—I don’t usually feel this tired even when I’m in the mountains. Of course, it also feels very fresh. Coming back from setting routes, I’ve realized I’ve gained a lot of insights and need to reflect and summarize. Now that I’m back, I plan to focus on this properly.

       Interviewer: How do you understand the “China Climb” activity?

       Zhang Yong: The “China Climb” activity actually isn’t new—we, including others in China, had similar ideas before, but for various reasons, it never happened. This time, thanks to KAILAS’s support, the event was successfully launched. Having personally experienced each stop, my biggest takeaway is a heightened sense of responsibility. Rock climbing in China is booming, but the reality is that conditions—routes, technical training, coaching—are still far from keeping up. Seeing the eager anticipation in the eyes of local climbers, every team member felt a sense of urgency. For example, in Xi’an, Quzhou, and Yingxi, there are great cliff resources and many passionate climbers, but the routes are limited and repetitive. They urgently need more diverse new routes to keep improving. In short, launching China Climb this year couldn’t have been more timely.

       Interviewer: What were the main focuses of your work during “China Climb”?

       Zhang Yong: Broadly speaking, China Climb includes: 1) identifying and documenting high-quality cliff resources in China, and 2) developing and building new routes based on local conditions and the needs of climbers. Our main work this time was route-setting. Except for Yangshuo, where cliff development is relatively mature, the other locations were either deep in the mountains or rarely visited wilderness areas. So, route-setting was the biggest need—and the process itself is a form of outreach and promotion. Beyond that, since our team comes from all over the world, exchanging knowledge about different cliffs, climbing styles, and techniques became part of the China Climb experience.
       “Our climbing rope went missing in Quzhou”
       Interviewer: China Climb visited five stops this year. Given the current state of climbing’s popularity, can you walk us through the journey?

       Qiu Xiang: “China Climb” started on June 20th in Yangshuo, then went to Leye, Xi’an, Quzhou, and wrapped up on August 24th, directly impacting nearly 10,000 people. I was involved in every stop—it was truly inspiring and surprising. I feel the social attention and overall atmosphere around climbing have improved a lot. In most places we visited, people could tell we were “climbers” just by looking at our gear. Don’t underestimate those two words—“rock climbing.” Five years ago, this sport was virtually unknown outside major cities.

       Of course, there were some funny moments too. In Quzhou, for instance, villagers saw us drilling holes and climbing in a cave and thought we were stealing stalactites to sell as antiques. They took one of our climbing ropes and reported it to the police. It was the police who returned the rope and explained the situation to the villagers. That was definitely an exception. In reality, we received strong support and welcome from local governments at almost every stop. This shows how much climbing has grown in recent years. As a trendy outdoor adventure sport, climbing is winning more and more fans, and we’re confident we can help it grow sustainably.

       Interviewer: During the climb, how did you choose the cliffs (sites) for route-setting, and what principles guided your final decisions?

       Qiu Xiang: We identified potential route-setting cliffs in three ways: 1) pre-trip research, such as in Yangshuo and Leye; 2) recommendations from local climbers, like in Yangshuo and Quzhou; and 3) on-site inspections, such as in Leye and Yingxi. When making final decisions, we generally looked for clean cliffs free of debris, with easy access and minimal proximity to hazardous terrain or geology. Finally, once a site was chosen, our leader TONI would use his experience to determine what types of routes would work best—long or short, what difficulty levels, etc. Of course, other team members had their own ideas, and all of these factors formed the basis of our cliff and route selection.

       “In the mountains, yet connected to the world”
       Interviewer: Most of the route-setting spots are quite remote. Didn’t you feel bored or isolated in the mountains? Aside from climbing and setting routes, how did you spend your time in the wild?

       Zhang Yong: Life in the wild, almost cut off from the rest of the world, is definitely tough. But for those who truly love cliffs and climbing, this is the life we crave. We’re a multinational climbing team from different countries and regions. In just two months, we traveled across half of China, climbed all kinds of cliffs, and left behind countless permanent routes. How could such an epic experience and exhilarating life be called hard? Plus, our China Climb journey wasn’t monotonous at all. Almost everyone on the team used Weibo and took selfies. Thanks to social media, we were in the mountains yet still connected to the world and its people.

       I remember during the Leye stop, the UEFA European Championship was in full swing. On the eve of the Spain vs. Italy match, the team closely followed their favorite teams, and we even placed bets. Spain ended up crushing Italy 4–0. When we saw old TONI dancing with joy, those of us who bet on Italy were a bit annoyed. But when we heard the tragic news of Yan Dongdong’s death in Xinjiang, we immediately named a newly set route “Spirit of Freedom” to honor him and his climbing legacy.

       More often, we’d quietly compete while setting routes. After completing each one, we’d boast a bit, then try each other’s routes and nitpick. It was all in good fun. Of course, during breaks, we’d chat about anything—history, culture, customs from our home countries, or stories from the climb. Every day was different, simple, pure, and fascinating. Rock climbing is just an extension of the childhood dreams of climbing trees and walls. As long as you want to, you’ll keep climbing, even if the cliffs are remote. I think we’re just that kind of people.
     “Over 100 new routes, each with a story”
       Interviewer: As a mixed Sino-international climbing team of nearly 10 people, how did you collaborate on the job during the climb?

       Superman: Our team is really just about climbing together, having fun, and setting routes freely. Usually, we’d discuss and decide where to go, then, once at the cliff, each person would decide where to set routes based on the wall. Of course, we worked together during the process. TONI, with 25 years of global route-setting experience, led the team. Aside from the setters, I was the team photographer, spending most of the climbing time following and shooting the ascents and descents to document the team’s journey perfectly. The climbing trip was relaxing but tightly scheduled, and our work unfolded through this seamless teamwork.

       Interviewer: Compared to your foreign teammates, do you think there are big differences in climbing philosophy or mindset?

       Zhang Yong: There are differences, sometimes quite noticeable. For example, when setting routes, Chinese team members tend to want more routes, focusing on quantity and alignment with local needs. They consider the skill levels of local climbers and the current state of climbing development to decide how many routes and what difficulty ranges to set. Foreign teammates, including TONI, are more guided by the cliff conditions, their personal preferences, and imagination—they don’t worry much about whether anyone will climb the routes or whether locals can handle them. But they always climb the routes themselves, focusing on creating lines with their own style and personality. Difficulty is more flexible for them. In contrast, Chinese team members play it safer and focus more on practicality—getting more people to climb and enjoy the routes.

       We also differ in overall route difficulty. TONI and others tend to set routes between 5.11 and 5.13. In Yingxi Guanyin Valley, TONI even set Guangdong’s first 5.14 difficulty route. Chinese team members mostly set routes suited to the majority of Chinese climbers—between 5.8 and 5.12. For example, in Xi’an and Quzhou, we set many routes, especially in Xi’an where I set seven routes in just two days. Other team members also set plenty, as did we in Yingxi, because those places have many climbers with strong demand. In Leye, where there are fewer climbers, we set fewer routes.

       Despite these differences, our team complemented each other well, ensuring a rich variety of route difficulties, lengths, and styles at each stop, offering options for climbers of all levels. Of course, we all learned a lot from each other—different techniques, climbing philosophies, and even cultural insights.

       Interviewer: China Climb is only in its first year, but the results are already impressive. Can you give a brief overview of the achievements, especially in terms of route-setting?

       Zhang Yong: From the perspective of route development, we indeed opened quite a few routes this year. At multiple sites and climbing areas, we can even call ourselves pioneers. In less than 40 days, we successively developed over 100 routes. These routes are spread across major climbing areas in Yangshuo, Leye, Xi'an, Quzhou, and Yingxi, including both well-known cliffs and those that are lesser-known and newly developed. There are easy yet fun routes, as well as difficult but very beautiful ones; there are short routes, and also long ones requiring group climbing. Some have been successfully first ascended and named, while others await future pioneers and remain unnamed. There are routes anyone can complete, and also those even the legendary old Toni would find daunting... In short, through the joint efforts of our Chinese and international team members, more than 100 rich, interesting, beautiful, and uniquely distinctive new routes have been born across China.

       Interviewer: Haha, your description makes it feel like over 100 children have been born. Are there any of these routes that left a particularly deep impression on you?

       Zhang Yong: We truly treat every route as if it were our own child. Not only do we see them as alive, but we also endow each with the strongest vitality, which is reflected not only in their naming but also in the fact that every route has its own backstory, its own "legendary story." For example, the two routes “Xiao Qi” (Little Seven) and “Xiao Ba” (Little Eight), which I developed in Quzhou, are just like that. July 31st and August 3rd were their respective “birthdays.” Since they are of the same difficulty level and are very close to each other in time, they felt like brothers to me, so the names “Xiao Qi” and “Xiao Ba” just popped into my head. Even more interestingly, the day I named them was exactly August 7th—how magical is that? So now, naturally, “Xiao Qi” and “Xiao Ba” are the ones that stand out the most to me.

       “Rock Hunting China Draws Attention from Mainstream Media Nationwide”
       Interviewer: This year’s “Rock Hunting China” covered nearly half of China. Based on your understanding, what kind of responses did each stop receive?

       Qiu Xiang: In terms of response, the most direct feedback has to be the buzz on social media. Both the official Weibo account of “Rock Hunting China” and the personal accounts of our team members saw a lot of activity. At every stop, many climbers became the latest followers. Meanwhile, at each location along the way, climbers came specifically to join our team, providing convenience and assistance with local route development, especially notable in Xi'an and Quzhou. The event also caught the attention of many local mainstream media outlets. Outlets such as Quzhou News Network, Zhejiang Online, Qianjiang Evening News, Xi’an Net, and Xi’an’s Travel Life Magazine all published special reports on the interactions between the Rock Hunting China route development team and local climbers. Additionally, each stop of this year’s “Rock Hunting China” received strong support and a warm welcome from local governments and residents.

       Interviewer: Rock Hunting China has now come to a temporary close. How do you hope the project will develop in the future? And based on this year’s experience, do you have any suggestions for further improvement?

       Zhang Yong: I hope such events continue to take place. Like the Unclimbed Peaks project, may it have a long-term and sustained development. I remember there was an event abroad called “Rock Hunting World,” where a specially modified vehicle, carrying a unique license issued by the International Mountaineering Association, could travel the world. It had a climbing wall on the vehicle itself, using that as a base to search for routes, develop climbs, travel, and exchange experiences globally... I think future “Rock Hunting China” could draw inspiration from that. For instance, at each stop in the future, we could consider organizing some climbing skill training sessions, lectures, or other interactive activities. We might also look at extending the duration of our stay at each site appropriately.
       Beyond that, some climbers also pointed out other shortcomings to us, such as insufficient route development and limited geographical coverage, noting that there's still a gap from being a true “Rock Hunting China.” I believe these are all areas where we need to improve. “Rock Hunting China” has just begun. Though it wasn’t our original idea, this year has undoubtedly been one of pioneering. In China, I believe only KAILAS, which has long committed itself to “promoting the development of grassroots mountaineering and exploration sports,” would undertake such a meaningful project. “Rock Hunting China,” we’ll be back!

       Interviewer: Rock Hunting China, see you next year ! Thank you !