Climb every mountain
An audacious 6,000-meter mountain climb not only secured Wang Qin his future wife's hand, it also was a stark reminder of how dangerous his hobby could be.
In 2000, Wang joined other amateur mountaineers to climb the snow-capped Yuzhu Peak in Qinghai Province of Northwest China. At 6,178 meters above sea level, the peak is ranked moderately difficulty and is a good choice for mountaineering beginners.
The right boots and other gear are crucial for safety in the wild outdoors. File photo |
Wang equipped himself with helmets, a mountaineering axe, crampons, boots and harnesses and in May, surmounted the peak, teaming with his would-be wife.
"Before the climb, she was only a friend of mine," he said. "After the trip, she became my girlfriend." They were married the same year. But a week after the wedding, two amateur teams from Beijing and Guangzhou were caught in bad weather while trying to scale the peak. Five climbers died.
"I met most of them in Qinghai. It was the first time I became aware of the risks of outdoor sports," Wang recalled.
The accident did not deter Wang from pursuing his life-time hobby and over the years has gained him certain fame among China's outdoors enthusiasts.
In 2002, he ascended the 5,588-meter Xuebaoding Peak in Sichuan Province, in Southwest China. Two months later, he became the first man to surmount all five peaks of the Xiaowutai Mountains (elevated between 2,671-2,882 meters) in Hebei Province alone within 24 hours.
Wang dictates to his faithful flock of outdoor believers the mountains to scale and the all-important equipment to buy.
As more people from the Chinese mainland become passionate about backpacking and extreme travel, outdoor equipment shops are mushrooming, outdoor adventure clubs are booming and online travel communities have sprung up everywhere.
Trend setter
To his outdoor companions, Wang is known as "poison" because they are "poisoned" by the need to buy new equipment.
"Look at the pair of British Army Gore-Tex Stockings, I got it from the Internet, truly waterproof you can test it by pouring some mineral water," he would say to his fellows. "It's perfect for bird watching in alpine meadows or dense woods."
If only Wang had bought them last year for trek through Qinghai Province, he wouldn't have worried about "dew leaking into his boots the whole day."
"If you folks want it, we can organize 'tuangou' (group order)."
Group ordering has become very popular among Chinese because it lowers the price.
Wang has witnessed adventure sports develop from a small-time hobby for only a few to a fashionable pastime for the country's expanding middle class.
Wang, 40, has been climbing mountains ever since he was a boy. As a young man, he would ride a bicycle to the outskirts of Beijing, climb the hill in rubber shoes and spend a night in farmers' houses.
In 1995, he chanced upon Sunwind Outdoor, the first outdoor gear and clothing store in Beijing and soon brought his first sleeping bag and backpack. "Their brand is Vaude, one of the first international outdoor brands manufactured in China," he said.
A year later, he spent 3,600 yuan ($460) a big sum in those days on a waterproof breathable North Face Gore-Tex jacket in an upmarket shopping centre in Beijing.
With his new gear, he began to explore the wilds around the capital. He ventured out every weekend, but mostly climbed alone. In the New Year holidays of 1999, he met a group of backpackers from Luye, one of the largest online communities for backpackers in China, at the Xiaowutai Mountains in Hebei Province.
Overjoyed, he joined the Luye community, where he met his future wife.
The death of the amateur climbers in 2000 at the Yuzhu Peak in Qinghai came as a shock, but Wang didn't slow down exploring the country's wilderness. He tackles ice climbs in winter and explores caves in summer.
More choices
As a dealer with a foreign trade company, Wang has overseas friends and business contacts, who helped him purchase equipment in the early years.
He once asked a friend to buy a North Face Mountain 24 tent in the United States. It cost him more than $300 but he later discovered the tent was designed mainly for high-altitude use, and was not truly water resistant.
"No one told you the difference of all those types and brands. We had few choices. I thought the more expensive ones were certainly better than the cheaper ones," said the tall and stout man.
Since 2002, many foreign brands, such as North Face and Columbia, have been produced in China and have more commissioned agents in the country.
More colors, types and choices are offered and outdoor clothing in daily life means fashion.
In the past few years, Wang has also slowed down his purchases and spent more time shopping online for small goodies like the stockings.
His home is already stuffed: Under his bed are three alpine tents, two four-season tents, five sleeping bags including two Marmot down sleeping bags good for below -40C, a dozen backpacks and more hiking boots.
In 2003, the birth of his daughter turned the energetic man from mountaineer into a bird watcher.
"It suits me, I can go birding in safer places with my wife and girl," he said.
But Wang won't stop buying. "My dream of mountaineering is always there. I'm sure I will climb again sooner or later."
(China Daily 01/24/2007 page18)
