A COOL ACTIVITY

Standing beneath the frozen waterfalls at the Yudushan Scenic Area in Beijing's Yanqing district, it is easy to get lost in the profound silence of winter — a silence that, recently, was pierced by the rhythmic beat of steel blades biting into blue-ice walls, the crunch of crampons cracking the frozen surface, and the echoing shouts of guidance and encouragement of teams of climbers.

These crystalline cascades served as vertical proving grounds for mountaineering enthusiasts from 33 universities across the nation during a recently concluded weeklong winter training camp.

The camp was a collaborative initiative between the Earth Club, a student outdoor sports society founded in 2008 at China University of Geosciences Beijing, the Yudushan Scenic Area and Beijing Peak Ridge Outdoor Products.

Its core mission was to deliver systematic training in high-altitude mountaineering. By merging simulated environment drills with field-based practical exercises, the program was designed to imbue participants with a fundamental technical ability to climb snowy mountains.

Ultimately, it sought to raise the collective skill level of university mountaineering clubs across China and foster the robust, sustainable growth of collegiate outdoor clubs.

Over the program's seven days, members of outdoor clubs from universities including CUGB, Beijing Forestry University, Fudan University, Jilin University, Soochow University, Tongji University, Ocean University of China and Xinjiang University received instruction and completed training in ice climbing, rope techniques — such as rappelling and ascending — how to traverse icy slopes, and the construction and dismantling of ice anchors.

The curriculum also featured a 15-kilometer trek with over 800 meters of elevation gain, during which participants learned to use trekking poles, manage heavy backpacks and set up a campsite.

For Cao Lei, a 21-year-old senior majoring in Groundwater Science and Engineering at CUGB, and the head of the Earth Club, the training camp offered a valuable opportunity for university students, who are often limited by time, finances, and resources, to gain exposure to the integrated knowledge of geography, geology, meteorology, physiology and sports science essential to mountaineering. For him, it underscored that mountain climbing requires thorough preparation, not just passion, to properly address the inherent risks and uncertainties of the sport.

Cao, who developed his interest in outdoor activities after joining the club as a freshman, now tackles the ascent of snow-capped mountains with fellow club members every long holiday.

For him, the joy of mountaineering lies not just in reaching the summit, but even more so in the strategic planning beforehand and the systematic review and refinement afterward.

"While mountaineering involves risk, we are not seeking adventure recklessly. We aim to be fully prepared," he said.

"It's about learning how to mitigate risks, design protection points and develop a sounder climbing strategy."

In his view, high-altitude snow mountain climbing carries inherent risks, with rugged terrain, crevasses and steep ice walls to negotiate, as well as the risk of avalanches.

There are also potentially lethal environmental conditions, like hypoxia, low temperatures, low humidity and strong radiation; as well as unpredictable weather and glacial movements.

These risks, while characteristic of the sport, are not unmanageable — they simply require a significantly higher degree of preparedness.

In early January, the Mountaineering Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China issued a directive calling for strengthened safety oversight of mountaineering and outdoor sports.

The directive emphasized the enforcement of local responsibility and the mitigation of safety risks during winter mountaineering activities, including actively promoting relevant training programs.

It urged local mountaineering associations and professional organizations to leverage their expertise in organizing training, guiding enthusiasts to participate in standardized programs that foster safety awareness and to acquire the essential skills to ensure their safety when taking part in such activities.

The Yudushan Scenic Area hosts one of Beijing's premier natural ice climbing sites, renowned for its high altitude, early and reliable freeze, dense ice formation and extended usability that often lasts until mid-March.

This has made it the cornerstone of a formalized university winter training network, drawing students from across the country to undertake mountaineering instruction.

"Yudushan will deepen its cooperation with universities to establish itself as a benchmark destination for university ice and snow training. This integrated hub will combine winter training, competitive events, academic research and experiential tourism, transforming the 'cold resource' of ice and snow into a 'hot engine' that empowers youth development and invigorates cultural and tourism growth," noted Xing Haijun, chairman of Beijing Yudushan Tourism Development Company.

Cao has also noticed that, with a growing interest in mountaineering among young people, universities and outdoor brands are increasingly supportive of such training camps. He served as an instructor for the module guiding students to traverse icy slopes at the recent camp.

"I hope to pass on the outdoor skills I learned from my seniors in the club to more young people who share the same passion. This is part of the Earth Club's legacy," he said, adding that the club now has over 600 members, with more than a hundred active core participants.

The week-long camp concluded with a group photo of over a hundred participants beneath the ice-falls and a loud cheer of "Happy Winter Training!"

Soon after, Cao received their combined reflections on the camp, spanning tens of thousands of words.

Among them was Li Han, a member of the Earth Club who experienced ice climbing for the first time at the camp.

"Once I stood on the ice wall, all fear vanished. Ice chips hit my goggles and melted into my eyes, water droplets froze on my jacket, and all I wanted was to keep climbing upward," she wrote.

"Walking makes one stronger. If you can traverse vast mountains and canyons, then stepping back into the crowd feels like walking through an empty realm. This experience has become a part of me and will accompany me on longer, farther journeys."