There is a new outdoor trend in China that dominated the social media recenty. It involves hiring a "climbing buddy," most likely a young biological man with extensive outdoor experience to accompany and support lone young women her to their 5,000-foot peak goal.
Known in Chinese as "pei pa" (meaning "accompany to climb"), these are young Chinese men who join strangers on their journeys up popular mountains for a price. The trend has gained momentum this year, as hashtags related to "climbing buddy" have had over 100 million views on Chinese social media.
Young, athletic individuals, often university students or even military veterans, advertise themselves on social media platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin, with profiles featuring their height, fitness level and hiking experience. They usually charge between 200 to 600 yuan (US$ 30 to US$ 85) per trip.
During the climb, these "buddies" will do anything to distract their clients from feeling exhausted and push them to keep going: from singing, telling jokes, playing music, verbal encouragement, going so far as carrying their bags, holding their hands, and pulling them.
Wendy Chen, was one of those ladies who decided to challenge herself by climbing Mount Tai, a well-known mountain in eastern China, together with a "pei pa".
Though Chen paid a typical price for a climbing buddy, she acknowledges that more good-looking buddies can command higher rates.
"Attractiveness is also part of their strength," she says.
Climbing buddies’ main customers tend to be single young women, but that’s slowly changing.
A video of a strong male university student carrying a three-year-old effortlessly up a steep mountain — while the toddler’s mother trailed far behind — went viral this summer.
Chen Wudi, who works as a "pei pa" has this as a serious job.
After quitting a stressful sales role in April, the 27-year-old embraced his love for hiking and became a full-time climbing buddy.
Currently, Chen is taking nearly 40 bookings and earning around 20,000 yuan (US$ 2,800) per month. That’s more than double the average monthly salary in China, according to recent government data. Business is so good that he has moved to Tai’an City, right by the foot of Mount Tai.
However, the popularity of paid climbing buddies has caused some concerns. Currently the market is unregulated. Critics warn about potential safety risks, especially for young single women or those with small children.
Some worry that unverified guides could lead amateur climbers into potentially dangerous situations on the mountain. On top of that, the trend has opened the door to possible crimes, with some reports of customers being scammed.
Still, with China’s youth unemployment rate remaining high and many young people facing a prolonged search for stable work after graduation or in between jobs, becoming a climbing buddy offers a way to make money quickly while figuring out their long-term plans.
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