Wendy Chen decided to challenge herself by climbing Mount Tai, a well-known mountain in eastern China.
But there was one obstacle in her way: she couldn’t find a friend to join her for the five-hour trek.
Rather than forgo her plans, the 25-year-old hired a “climbing buddy,” a young man with extensive outdoor experience, to accompany and support her to the 5,000-foot peak.
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 ($30 to $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.
A day on the mountain
Chen and her climbing buddy’s adventure began at around 8:00 pm so she could arrive at the peak in time for the famous sunrise. After assessing her fitness level, her climbing buddy planned a moderate route and carried her backpack the whole way.
When they faced chilling winds at the peak, Chen’s climbing buddy rented a thick coat for her while directing her to a walled shelter.
At the moment the sun rose, Chen’s climbing buddy was already prepared with a national flag and other props so that she could take a memorable photo. Though she felt his photography skills still had room to improve, she rated her climbing buddy as “satisfactory.” The service cost her 350 yuan ($49).
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.
Wendy Chen’s much-coveted sunrise photo. – Wendy Chen
Making headway in a tough job market
Chris Zhang, a 20-year-old university student, seized on the opportunity this summer. While some of his classmates opted for traditional internships, Zhang had a go advertising himself online as a climbing buddy.
With national holidays driving up demand, Zhang has already earned over 20,000 yuan ($2,800) in the past three months. In the same period, some of his classmates were on a mere 2,000 yuan ($280) monthly wage doing a customer service internship.
Zhang says being a climbing buddy gives him not just a higher salary but also more freedom to be outside instead of sitting in front of a computer all day.
Other buddies, like Chen Wudi, have taken it 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 ($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.
“Basically, I’m climbing mountains every day. Sometimes twice a day or even three times a day,” says Chen.
Popular climbing buddies like him get orders for mountains all over the country, and he will go climb any mountain if the transportation is covered by clients.
Despite the attractive income, Chen admits the work may not be sustainable because it is physically taxing.
“It hurts my knees very much, so I may only be able to keep doing this for a few months or half a year.”
Chen Wudi (left) with one of his climbing clients. – Courtesy Chen Wudi
An unregulated industry
The popularity of paid climbing buddies has also 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.
Chen Wudi understands this job might not be forever, but he says he needs it right now.
“I like hiking and going to different places. And it makes enough money that support my life.”
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