China’s first mountaineering school celebrates 20th anniversary

By:en.tibetol.cn
update:July 26,2019

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on July 12, 2019 shows Nyima Tsering(left), principal of the Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School, presents awards to 10 outstanding guides. (Xinhua/Phurbu Tashi)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on October 2, 2011 shows a guide from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School provides one-to-one guiding service on Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on May 24, 2019 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School celebrate the school’s 20^th anniversary on Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Tashi Tsering)

July 26, 2019 -- Photos taken on July 10, 2019 show several guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School. They are Tashi Gonpo,Phurbu Tsering, Luda, Sonam Tseringin the clockwise direction. (Xinhua/Phurbu Tashi)

July 26, 2019 -- Photos taken on July 10, 2019 show several guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School. They are Ngawang Norbu(upper left), Dorje Tsering(upper right), Chimed Tashi (lower left) and Gyalpo (lower right). (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)

July 26, 2019 -- Photos taken on July 10, 2019 show several guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School. They are Ngawang Tashi(left) and Luoqiong (right).(Xinhua/Sun Fei)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on May 19, 2012 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School climb Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Tashi Tsering)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on April 24, 2019 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School perform Guo Zhuang Dance before expedition. (Xinhua/Tashi Tsering)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on September 28, 2006 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School climb Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Nyima Tsering)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on May 19, 2012 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School climb Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Tsering Samdrup)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on May 8, 2008 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School light the Olympic Torch. (Xinhua/Tashi Tsering)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on September 17, 2010 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School carry out rescue operations on Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Tashi Tsering)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on November 25, 2008 shows Nyima Tsering, then Captain of the Tibet mountain climbing team and principal of Tibetan Mountain Climbing School, explains the history of mountaineering in Tibet to students. (Xinhua/Kelsang Dawa)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on May 21, 2016 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School clean garbage on Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Tashi Tsering)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on May 19, 2012 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School climb Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Tashi Tsering)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on May 24, 2019 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School climb Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Tashi Tsering)

July 26, 2019 -- Photo taken on April 23, 2016 shows guides from Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School take group photos on Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Tashi Tsering)

July 26, 2019 -- Established in 1999, Tibetan Mountain Climbing School (now known as The Lhasa Himalaya Mountaineering Guide School) is the world's second mountaineering guide school, according to Nyima Tsering, principal of the school. The first is French National Skiing and Mountain Guide School in Chamonix, France.

As China’s first mountaineering guide school, students here are mainly from Tibetan rural areas, with their families being farmers or herdsmen. Twelve batches of students have been recruited so far, and about 300 mountaineering guides, mountaineering assistants, alpine cooks, alpine photographers, climbing athletes and interpreters have been trained by the school, said Nyima Tsering. Up till now, the school’s graduates have helped more than 180 climbers from home and abroad scale Mount Qomolangma successfully. More than 200 students have also scaled Mount Qomolangma nearly 450 times altogether.

As mountaineering guides and assistants, students from the school have attended many key climbing events in China, such as the 50-year anniversary in 2003 of the first ascent of Mount Qomolangma (known as Everest in the West), the Qomolangma elevation resurvey in 2005, and the 2008 Olympic torch relay at Mount Qomolangma.

The school’s graduates also play an important role in the fields of alpine rescue, scientific expedition, environmental protection and competitive sports, said Tselo, director of the Alpine Exploration Division of the Mountaineering Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China.

According to the statistics from the school, from the year of 2002 to 2019, the Tibetan Holy Mountain Rescue Team formed by the school’s graduates has carried out 31 alpine rescue operations and saved 41 lives altogether. The school’s graduates are the main undertakers of the Himalayan cleaning job every year. Some outstanding graduates joined competitive sports teams, and many become members of the National Ski Team and/or the National Climbing Team.

The school celebrated its 20th anniversary on July 12, 2019.

Over the past 20 years, by producing professionals in different fields of mountaineering, the school has helped fill vacancies in China’s mountaineering industry, has helped the country to accelerate its upgrade and transformation of mountaineering industry, and has gained remarkable achievements in Tibet’s mountaineering and outdoor sports, said the congratulatory letter sent by the Chinese Mountaineering Association.

By: Gao Jingna