2024年8月23日, 四川省江油腰悬岩。
在岩壁下的树林里，成都领攀攀登学校的十多名教练正准备开始新的户外攀岩训练。这群平均年龄20出头的年轻教练们，将接受系统性的综合培训。未来，他们将成为成都登山和户外运动产业中重要的人力资源储备，担负起推动产业发展的任务。他们在岩壁上灵巧地腾挪身体，35摄氏度的气温仿佛被这群年轻人的热情推到了更高。自信、专注、专业、坚持……是这群年轻人的炙热追求。他们集中起来，在岩壁前听取专业的技术讲解，热切的目光注视着前面的榜样：业界的大咖和传奇、中国民间登山的代表人物、技术型攀登者——登山教练曾山。
曾山的英文名字叫Jon Otto。他的母亲是著名的水环境保护者，80多岁仍奔走于世界各地。跨越地域的界限，去燃烧热情、满足好奇、追逐理想，刻在曾山的基因里。从美国纽约到北京，从新疆乔戈里峰再到成都，30多年过去，曾山攀登过中国西部许多高山，也攀登过四川境内许多高山。从第一座7000米以上的慕士塔格峰开始，他在攀登中不停地阅读高山，读懂它们，读懂自己，也读懂中国。
山脊的每一层褶皱
都是打开的书页
“你必须读懂它，你才知道它在欢迎你、警告你，还是恐吓你？而你将据此迅速作出判断：继续攀登或是下撤。这最终决定你能完成任务还是丢失生命。”攀登者只对个人生命负责，而作为攀登向导或攀登教练，必须对他人的生命负责。作为成都领攀攀登学校的校长，曾山常常告诫他的年轻教练们，要尊重大自然，不要试图征服它，而要了解它，听它指挥，因为“山脊的每一层褶皱都是打开的书页”。
曾山因为热爱追逐未登峰而闻名，并成为中国西部许多雪峰的首登者。四川境内的半脊峰、幺妹峰、央莫龙峰和雀儿山等山峰，都因为曾山和同伴的技术登顶而名噪一时。其中登顶央莫龙峰和雀儿山北坡到山顶的全新路线让曾山和同伴提名了亚洲金冰镐奖。
谁能想到，初登高山的曾山，也曾毫无准备。1991年，在北大留学的曾山，和北大山鹰社的登山爱好者们一起，冲击自己的第一座雪山。没有雪山攀登的经验和专业的准备，“我们犯了很多错误，幸运的是没有出事。”后来，曾山日渐专业，但也曾经历过摔进冰缝、同伴跌落雪坡等事故。攀登雅拉雪山时，因为读懂了乌鸦“传递的信息”，曾山果断带领队伍，在离峰顶很近的距离撤下，从而躲过了一场地震和可能发生的雪崩。
“当我年纪渐长的时候，我不再把登顶作为唯一目标，体会眼前的雪山，体会这片土地上的人和自然，成为了更有意义的事情。”
如果我是一颗岩钉，
我锲进了这片土地
自从1990年来到中国，除了因为女儿出生离开过中国好几年以外，曾山的半生几乎都在中国度过。他的大部分时间在四川的雪山之上跋涉，部分时间也在成都经营自己的事业。早期，成都的第一批室内攀岩馆出现时，曾山就和同伴马一桦在老南门大桥附近开了一家。成都人对新兴运动的接受和欢迎程度，让曾山挺吃惊。当户外攀岩在中国开始兴起，曾山和同伴便在大邑创立了青少年的攀岩培训基地，因为成都人对攀岩的热情超出了想像。
曾山还曾在美国创办过旅游探险公司，把北美和欧洲的登山爱好者一批批地带到中国西部来，让无数西方人通过与雪山的对话，了解四川，了解中国。
2003年，曾山在成都和马一桦创办了中国第一个民间登山培训公司——成都刃脊登山探险公司。在攀登技术型山峰的同时，为中国技术型登山事业培养了大批人才。
2012年，曾山在成都创立了成都领攀攀登学校，开设系统的培训，包括专业登山向导的培训、专业登山教练的培训以及初学者的意识和技术培训等，以跟上国内快速发展的户外探险市场。
“你能想象我年轻的时候，跟陌生人说话都会紧张吗？”曾山问。“现在，对着上千登山爱好者演讲，我也很自如。”在中国的几十年，曾山认为登山改变了他。他变得更加自信和稳健沉着，在读懂高山时，也读懂了自己。
曾山就像腰悬岩上的一颗岩钉，牢牢地锲在了这片土地上。
我在中国创业，
总是能感受它的快速发展
“我的女儿即将高中毕业，我很想陪伴她考上大学，我在美国陪她的时间太少了。可是，成都这边的事业发展太快，我有许多事情要做，真难两全。”
最近几年，曾山感觉行业开始加速发展。客户群、产品、从业者、资本……都在不停地变化或涌入。
“以前我们的客户主要以北美和欧洲为多，而现在我们的客户几乎都来自国内，本地的客户群也相当庞大。人们不再把登山看作是对自然的征服，而更像是一种体验，一种生活方式。”
没有经过专业训练的素人登山者队伍在不停地扩大，对于专业的向导和教练的需求激增。引入野外救援、雪崩观察、向导培训、医疗救助等专业的国际标准体系，以及建立国内自己的标准体系，也快速地提上了日程。“我的时间太不够用了。”曾山非常苦恼。
曾山的业务从登山拓展到了攀冰、滑雪、攀岩。随着高速公路等基础设施的建设提速，曾经遥不可及的雪山，也似乎触手可得。“以前我们去四姑娘山要六七个小时，现在两个多小时就可以到达。”交通的便捷也使领攀对新产品的开发速度变得越来越快。每一条新的线路就是一个新的产品，甚至一年可以开发一、二十条出来。
这与中国探险产业的突进发展是高度吻合的。2024年5月，中国探险协会发布的《2023中国探险产业白皮书》指出，2023年中国探险产业总产值达到突破性的1.9万亿元，同比增长15.5%，展现出强劲的发展势头。其中，探险旅游、探险运动、探险教育以及探险疗愈四个细分赛道均实现显著增长。风口之上，叠加四川丰富的户外探险资源，曾山事业的发展可谓占据了天时地利人和。
“我们得到了中国专业户外领导品牌凯乐石的支持。团队越做越大，很快要搬到簇桥附近全新的办公地点，5层大楼目前正在装修中。”
不仅如此，曾山还以技术总监的身份加入到了凯乐石专业攀登设备的研发中，舒适而功能强大的产品不断面世，也助推了行业的发展全面加速。“我很高兴在我热爱的成都，见证了我热爱的事业大步发展。”
“30年前，我在美国大学毕业的时候，是继续从事我的物理研究，还是奔向中国的群山？曾经令我迷茫。”而现在这一答案如此清晰，曾山说：“也许，我会在中国攀到80岁。”
Standing in a tree trove under the the cliffs of Yaoxuanyan in Jiangyou City in northern Sichuan, over 10 guides from Chengdu LeadClimb Mountaineering Company are making preparations to get themselves ready for a training session, on August 23, 2024. These young guys, with an average age of just over 20, will receive systematic comprehensive training in mountain climbing and will be an important part of the reserve in the mountaineering and outdoor sports industry of Chengdu and a driving force for the development of the industry in the future. When people see them move on the cliffs with dexterity and professional skills, their passions are ignited in the hot weather with the temperature as high as 35 degrees Celsius. These young people, clinging to the cliffs and having a lesson afterwards, are the paragons of confidence, attention, persistence and professionalism, the pursuits of the young people of our times. And behind all this stands Zeng Shan, a legendary figure in the development of the civilian mountaineering industry in China, now serving as a mountaineering coach.
His English name Jon Otto, Zeng Shan is from the United States. His mother is a renowned water environment preservationist who, at the age of over 80, is still traveling around the world. Zeng Shan has inherited the family gene of pursuing ideals and satisfying curiosity with passions, regardless the geographical boundaries. Over the 30 years, he traveled from New York to Beijing, and then to Chengdu, during which he climbed a large number of high mountains— the Qogir Peak in Xinjiang Autonomous Region, and many high mountains in western China including mountains in Sichuan province. Since his first conquering of high mountains above 7,000 meters, the Muztag Ata, he has embarked a journey of reading high mountains, understanding them, understanding himself, and understanding the land of China.
Each Fold of the Ridge Is Like a Page of an Open Book
“You must read it to know whether it is welcoming you, warning you, or intimidating you and then you must make a quick decision as to continue or retreat, which ultimately determines whether you complete the task or lose your life."
While climbers are only responsible for their own lives, the climbing guides are responsible for the lives of others. As the principal of Chengdu Lead Climbing School, Zeng Shan often tells the young coaches of the school to respect nature rather than to conquer it — to understand nature and follow its ways, because “each fold of the ridge is like a page of an open book.”
Known for his passion for climbing the unconquered peaks, Zeng Shan has made himself the first person to get to the top of many snow-topped peaks in western China, conquering many high mountains such as Banji Peak, Yaomei Peak, Yangmolong Peak, and the east summit of Chuoer Mountain in Sichuan — some of them have since become popular goals for climbers after the technical ascents of Zeng Shan and his companions. He and his companions were nominated for the Asian Golden Ice Axe Award for their ascent to the top of Yangmolong Peak and the northern route to the top of Chuoer Mountain along the new routes. You would not imagine that Zeng Shan was actually unprepared for his first try to climb high mountains — in 1991, Zeng Shan, then a student at Peking University, had his first try to get to the top of a snowy mountain together with mountaineering enthusiasts from the Mountain Eagle Society of the university. “Due to lack of experience and professional preparation, we made many mistakes but fortunately nothing serious happened,” Zeng Shan recalled. He encountered several accidents, such as falling into ice crevasses and companions falling down snowy slopes, even after he became more professional later on. Once, when climbing Yala Snowy Mountain, Zeng Shan read “the message" conveyed by the raven and led the team to retreat from a very close distance to the summit, kept the team safe from an earthquake and a possible avalanche.
“As I grow older, I no longer consider reaching the summit as the sole goal. Experiencing the snowy mountains in front of me and understanding the people and nature of this land have given meanings to my life.”
I Would Firmly Establish Myself in This Land if I Were a Rock Piton
“Since arriving in China in 1990, Zeng Shan has spent almost half of his life in China except for the years when he left due to the birth of his daughter, trekking on the snowy mountains in Sichuan and managing his business in Chengdu. In the early days, when the first indoor climbing gyms was set up in Chengdu, Zeng Shan and his partner Ma Yihua opened their own similar gym near the Old Nanmen Bridge. Zeng Shan was quite surprised by the enthusiasm of Chengdu people for this emerging sport — the passion of Chengdu people for climbing was beyond his imagination, Seeing the outdoor climbing began to rise in China, Zeng Shan and his companions established a climbing training base for young people in Dayi County in western Chengdu.
Zeng Shan also founded a travel and adventure company in the United States, bringing groups of mountain enthusiasts from North America and Europe to western China, allowing countless Westerners to understand China and Sichuan through their enperiences in the snowy mountains.
In 2003, Zeng Shan and Ma Yihua founded China's first private mountaineering training company in Chengdu — Chengdu Renji Mountaineering and Adventure Company. While climbing technically-challenging peaks, they cultivated a large number of talents for China’s technical mountaineering industry.
In 2012, Zeng Shan founded Chengdu LeadClimb School in Chengdu, offering systematic training including professional mountain guide training, professional mountain climbing coach training, as well as the knowledge and technical training for beginners, in order to keep up with the rapidly developing outdoor adventure market in China.
After decades in China, Zeng Shan believes that mountaineering has changed him. "Can you imagine that when I was young, I would get nervous talking to strangers?" Zeng Shan asked. "Now, I feel very comfortable speaking to thousands of people."
He has become more confident, steady, and calm. While understanding the high mountains, he has also a better understanding of himself.
Zeng Shan is like a rock piton on Yaoxuanyan, firmly embedded in this land. It is an irreversible fact before he realized it.
I Am a Witness of China’s Rapid Development since I Started My Career in China
“My daughter is about to graduate from high school, and I really want to be there for her as she enters university. I spent too little time with her in the United States. However, the business here in Chengdu is developing so fast, and I have a lot to do. It's really hard to balance both.”
In recent years, Zeng Shan has felt that the industry is accelerating. Everything is changing so fast — the customer base, products, operators, capital, and more.
“In the past, our customers were mainly from North America and Europe, but now almost all of our customers are from China, and the local customer base has seen a big growth. People no longer see mountaineering as conquering nature, but more as an experience, a way of life.”
The ranks of amateur climbers without professional training are constantly expanding, leading to a surge in demand for professional guides and coaches. Introducing international standard systems such as wilderness rescue, avalanche observation, guide training, medical assistance, as well as establishing domestic standard systems, have also been quickly put on the schedule.
“I never have enough time,” Zeng Shan often said remorsefully.
Zeng Shan's business has expanded from mountaineering to ice climbing, skiing, and rock climbing. With the accelerated construction of infrastructure such as highways, the once-inaccessible remote snowy mountains are not within reach. “In the past, it took us six to seven hours to go to Siguniang Mountains, but now it only takes two hours.” Accompanying the transportation convenience are the burgeoning new products of LeadClimb. Each new route is a new product, and LeadClimb develops 20 such routes in a year.
This is highly consistent with the rapid development of China's adventure industry. In May 2024, the “White Paper of China Adventure Industry 2023" released by the China Adventure Association pointed out that the total output value of China's adventure industry made a breakthrough of 1.9 trillion yuan in 2023, with a year-on-year growth of 15.5%, showing a strong development momentum. Adventure tourism, adventure sports, adventure education, and adventure healing have all achieved significant growth. Riding on this trend, coupled with Sichuan's abundant outdoor adventure resources, Zeng Shan's business development can be said to have seen all the opportunities of the advantages of the times.
Doing the right things will earn social recognition and support. “We have received funding from Kailas, the largest outdoor adventure brand in China. Our team is growing larger, and we will soon move to a new office location near Cuqiao. The 5-story building is currently under renovation.”
Not only that, Zeng Shan has engaged himself in the research and development of new outdoor adventure equipment as technical director. Comfortable and powerful products are constantly being introduced, which has also accelerated the overall development of the industry. "I am very happy to witness the rapid development of my beloved career in Chengdu, which I love."
"Nearly 30 years ago, when I graduated from a university in the United States, I was confused about whether to continue my physics research or go to the mountains in China. Now, the answer is so clear,” Zeng Shan says, "Maybe you will see me climb the mountains in China until I'm 80."
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