Rock On! Two Expert Climbers Discuss Indoor Courses for Kids

When rock climbing makes its debut as an Olympic sport in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, climbers from around the world will showcase their strength and skills on the vertical rock walls at the marquee event. As is to be expected, the sport’s inclusion into the Olympics has resulted in an increased interest in the sport, and more rock climbing centers opening in Beijing than ever before and rock climbing, which was previously regarded as a niche sport, has now become a popular outdoor pastime for people of all ages.

With the easing of the COVID-19 outbreak, indoor rock climbing centers and natural rock walls in Beijing have begun reopening, so we talked to Wang Guohua, the founder of Xiqi Tours & Outdoor Sports, and Li Zan, an international outdoor rock climbing guide and former head of the Peking University Eagle Society rock climbing club. They share insights on rock-climbing coaching, ice climbing, and give advice for enthusiasts new to the sport.

Wang wasn’t always involved in outdoor activities, having moved over to the industry after working in the automotive industry. “I started by bringing my two children to play in the outdoors. Later on, my friends would plead me to bring them outside more, to play with their kids. I then started to pay more attention to outdoor activities, specifically on issues of safety and how to appropriately manage outdoor activities.” Now, Wang is an outdoors first responder certified by Wilderness Medical Associates International (WMAI), a senior outdoor mountain climbing instructor certified by the Chinese Mountaineering Association.

Li Zan

Wang’s long-time collaborator and colleague Li Zan is a rock climbing and ice climbing instructor with more than 10 years of climbing experience and has served as the climbing captain of the Peking University Eagle Society. He also helped to translate the famous rock climbing documentary Alone on the Wall (2010). He has a pioneer rock-climbing ability of 5.13 and an ice climbing ability of WI6 and is also a national outdoor activities instructor and mountain climbing guide.

Recently, the two pros hosted a special indoor rock climbing session for kids, aimed at helping them to acquire a fundamental understanding of rock climbing. In the first part of the session, students were taught about the structure of rock walls and learned basic movements and rules of the sport. The instructors also taught exercise habits and taught basic safety guidelines to the kids.

During the second part of the session, Wang and Li went further, teaching movement, endurance, and strength training. They taught students about climbing weight, precise finger and hand movements, anaerobic endurance, and rest skills. Movement practice and flexibility training were also done throughout this part of the session.

In the third part of the session, line climbing sessions in various rock-climbing centers were conducted. Students were also asked to share their thoughts on whether indoor and outdoor rock climbing challenged their individual skill sets and whether the sessions helped in furthering their individual knowledge about the sport. The two instructors shared their personal rock-climbing stories and experiences as well as the anecdotes of famous rock-climbers.

If you and your kids are interested in learning more about rock climbing, the two experts stress the importance of finding a professional coach to help you get started, and say that if you engage with the sport without guidance, you are highly likely to get injured and maybe put off the sport forever. However, with the guidance of a professional coach, you can quickly master basic climbing techniques and rules.

It is recommended that you start with rock-climbing in indoor venues and then progress on to outdoor climbing. After learning basic technique and skills with your coach in an indoor rock-climbing center, you can go with your coach and climb outside. This will greatly reduce the fear of outdoor climbing and allow you to experience outdoor climbing with less worries and more fun.

Where to go rock climbing in Beijing

These gyms all provide equipment for hire should you not have your own climbing gear, and many will also organize the outdoor climbing trips. As always during COVID-19, it is best to call ahead.

Rock Hour (岩时攀岩馆). RMB 120 per day. Bldg 74, 27 Xidawang Road, (near Pingleyuan Subway Station, exit B) Chaoyang District (137 1888 1250)
ET Climbing Gym (ET攀岩馆). RMB 150 per day. Shunbai Road, Wanhe Art District (north gate), Chaoyang District (8479 2199)
Hao Shi Climbing Gym (浩⽯石攀岩馆). RMB 100 per day. Unit 2, 7/F, Lantao Center, 5 Wanhong Road, Chaoyang District (6431 9881)
Allin (Allin攀岩运动空间). RMB 120 per day. Unit 1, Bldg D, 768 Enterprise Zone, 5 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District (6060 3214)
Everybody Climbing (⼈人攀岩). RMB 100 per day. Lize Sports Center, 6 Yupu Road, Changping District (186 1002 0094)
Everybody Climbing (⼈人攀岩). RMB 100 per day. Huanlegu Center, Hong Tong Sports Centre, 5 Huagong Road, Chaoyang District (186 1002 0094)
Yao Yan Climbing Gym (耀岩攀岩馆). RMB 60 per day. Bldg 3, 3 Anping Street, Shunyi District (136 0211 1387)