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The "Wolf Dad" is a new resident of the city
Recently, a post on the Qingdao Quansou website titled "A Seven-Year-Old Tries High-Altitude Rappelling" sparked enthusiastic attention among netizens. The 36-year-old "Wolf Dad," Wang Guoming, works in the tourism industry, a job that naturally exposes him to more scenic spots. "I've been to many places, seen many attractions, but the artificial elements have started to bore me. Through this process, I realized what I truly long for is nature, which led to my fascination with outdoor sports," said Wang Guoming. Since participating in several outdoor activities in the autumn of 2010, the thrill of embracing nature became irresistible. Since then, he has organized or joined outdoor events weekly, including extreme sports.
"I guess you could say I’m a new resident of Qingdao. My grandfather was from Jimo and went to the Northeast during the Northeast Migration. His dying wish was to return to his roots, but he wasn’t able to fulfill it. Perhaps because of this nostalgia, I chose Qingdao, Shandong after graduation. Of course, another important reason is that I’ve always been fascinated by the sea and the romance and freedom of coastal life."
Wang Guoming has always been a sports enthusiast — he plays ball, swims, and hikes. "Sports not only keep me physically healthy, but in this era full of survival pressures, they also allow me to completely forget my worries, bringing joy to both body and mind. At the same time, they help me preserve a bit of that inner simplicity."
7-year-old son tries high-altitude rappelling
As part of the passionate rappelling community, the "Wolf Dad" and his friends usually start hiking from the northern foot of Fushan Mountain or near Luxin Changchun Garden, reaching the rappelling spot at the southern foot of Fushan in about 30 minutes. Last weekend, Wang Guoming took his 7-year-old son, Wang Jindi, to hike Fushan and try rappelling. Without any prior persuasion, his son volunteered to give it a try. "I went down with my son first. Though he fell on the cliff face, he bravely got up every time. After landing, he wasn’t scared at all and even asked to go again. The second time, the kid actually raced and jumped with our rappelling coach, Old Cat — many adults there were impressed. Hahaha."
Wang Guoming said the whole experience was amazing. "My son is in second grade and holds positions like class monitor, art rep, and PE rep. I’d never seen him show such courage before." He also told reporters that rappelling has many benefits — not only does it challenge oneself and overcome fear in the face of danger, but it’s also a survival skill. It’s very popular in South Korea, where families living in high-rises often keep a set of rappelling gear for use in case of fires or earthquakes.
Qingdao is perfectly suited for rappelling
"Rappelling originated as a descent protection technique in alpine expeditions, later evolving into an extreme outdoor sport similar to rock climbing and bungee jumping. Qingdao is a hilly area with unique rock formations, making it ideal for rappelling. As far as I know, spots like Fushan Mountain, the Yankou area of Laoshan, Aishan in Jiaozhou, and the Tiger’s Mouth on Lingyang Island all have excellent rappelling locations."
Wang Guoming said there are many extreme sports enthusiasts in Qingdao, including not just rappellers but also hikers, surfers, and trekkers. "What we all have in common is a love for life, a passion for challenges, and a desire to connect with nature. Among our group of rappelling and rock-climbing enthusiasts, there’s a legendary figure — ‘Elvis’ — our rappelling coach and a seasoned veteran in the climbing world who once ranked second in the men’s category at a Shandong Province climbing competition. " In the early 1920s, British mountaineer George Mallory, during a lecture tour in New York, was asked by a reporter, "Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?" Mallory replied without hesitation, "Because it’s there." Wang Guoming lives this philosophy — once you start descending, there’s no turning back. You must overcome fear and obstacles, persevere to the end, push yourself through self-motivation and self-control, transcend yourself, and ultimately achieve success.