Bouldering: A new Indoor/Outdoor Experience

When I heard that Wang Yongfeng, the captain of China National Mountain Climbing Team, was setting up a new extreme sports club in Beijing, I was excited and curious.

As I entered the new club's large store, which offers a great variety of shoes, clothing and other equipment for outdoor sports, a large area featuring "bouldering" caught my attention.

Li Shu, a rock climbing lover and the manager of the Beijing Extreme Experience Club, said, "Our club has China's largest bouldering training area. On April 3 this year, Chris Sharma and Lauren Lee, the world's best male and female boulderers came to our club and participated in an informal competition held between them and the best Chinese climbers."

Bouldering, rock climbing on large boulders or on simulated rock walls indoors, arrived in China several years ago and immediately found a home in the hearts of China's outdoor enthusiasts.

Li explained, "Everyday after 7 p.m., groups of people come to relieve the stress of a day's work by climbing on our wall, and 10 yuan per day is really inexpensive for them."

With its indoor "boulders" or walls no higher than six metres, and with protective cushions on the ground at its base, bouldering indoors is much safer than rock climbing. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, coaches can arrange a suitable climbing programme for you.

After bouldering, players often enjoy themselves in a Tibetan-style bar, at a Tibetan-style rest area or with two big camp-like Menggubao brought from Inner Mongolia with food and drinks. There you can enjoy authentic Mongolian food and drink as well as sing and dance in the evenings.

Equipment used by Wang Yongfeng and his companions when climbing Mount Qomolongma is on exhibit nearby.

Li later pointed to lines of photographs on the club's walls and told me about another distinctive feature of their club. Because of the good relations between Wang and many other renowned experts in mountain climbing and rock climbing, members and non-members can take part in regular mountain climbing and rock climbing activities organized by the club. Detailed information about how to participate in these activities can be found at: http://www.exbear.com. At the club, renowned experts often come to give lectures, chat and sometimes serve as coaches. Some of the club's experts are judges of national rock climbing competitions. Regardless, everyone associated with the club, including the staff in the store and bar are sports buffs.

The club and its store provide one-stop shopping for those interested in bouldering and rock climbing. I the store, there are clothes and shoes for mountain climbing, rock climbing, bouldering, snow mountain climbing and hiking. Equipment for exclusive use on snowy mountains can be found here. Importantly, the store has a good line of proper shoes for use in climbing activity ranging from 400 yuan (US$50) to 700 yuan (US$87). There are also climbing ropes which can hold two tons and hooks, teapots, steel sticks and other climbing gear.

For further information about rock climbing, hiking or bouldering, the club can design special training plans for you.