In China there is a new profession on the rise and well valued: "pei pa"mountain climbing companions

At the beginning of summer Fu Linghaia university student from Hebei province, northern China, saw his face go viral in his country. The videos that spread like wildfire on social networks and ended up reaching media outlets such as Global Times either China News Service They show him in the mountains, with sunglasses and a baby carrier on his back in which he carries a three-year-old girl. Nothing strange. Not suspicious. If Lingahi became so popular overnight it was because when that photo was taken of him he was practicing a profession that was on the rise in the Asian giant and was quite well paid: that of pei pa.

He was literally a “climbing buddy.”

What is that “pei pa”? It sounds exotic, but the concept is quite simple. A pei pa it’s a “climbing buddy”. And in this case the words are very important. We are not talking about a Sherpa, nor a guide, nor a luggage carrier, nor a personal trainer. No. Literally and strictly a “climbing buddy”, someone in good physical shape and with mountain knowledge willing to accompany hikers who do not want to climb the most popular peaks in China alone and do not have anyone to accompany them.

And is it a job? Yes. One so peculiar that it has already attracted the attention of both national and foreign media, including either First Post. In a changing society like China’s, there are people, especially young university students looking for extra income, who have found a particularly lucrative business niche in accompanying hikers.

In exchange for a fee, they are willing to accompany lonely or inexperienced mountaineers during their excursions, offering them their knowledge, conversation and physical support, which can be valuable help if the client wants to carry backpacks or children.

And how much do they charge? The pei pa They usually offer their services through networks such as Xiaohongshu or Douyinin which, among other things, they report their height, physical condition or experience in the mountains. Rates fluctuate. precise that “climbing buddies” usually charge between 200 and 600 yuan per trip, which would be equivalent to a range of 30 to 80 euros. For example, Yu asks for 200 yuan for the escort service plus an extra 50 if the client asks him to carry a backpack.

Go up and down mountains like the Mount Taiwith an altitude of more than 1,500 meters, can be exhausting, but the pei pa that manage to become popular are well paid. And above all, they allow students to earn much more money than with other more conventional temporary jobs. Chris Zhang, a 20-year-old college student, assures who raised $2,800 by acting as pei pa for three months. It is ten times more than what some of their colleagues got with other jobs.

A permanent job? Not all the “companions” are university students who want to take advantage of their good physical shape and love of hiking to make extra money. Military veterans also advertise on the networks. And there are those like Chen Wudi, 27, who has decided to leave his previous job to bet everything on the mountains. He’s not doing bad at all. He has around 40 reservations a month and earns $2,800well above the average salary.

“I basically climb mountains every day. Sometimes two or even three times a day,” he assures the American network. It may seem like an exaggeration, but the frequency with which hashtags related to “climbing buddies” are used on Chinese social media shows that the service is generating surprising interest in the country.

Chen has even moved to the foot of the Mount Taialthough assume that it will not be able to continue going up and down its slopes at the current pace indefinitely. “My knees hurt a lot. Maybe I can only continue for a few months or half a year.”

And how are customers doing? That the phenomenon of pei pa has become so popular has allowed us to know stories of “companions”, but also of “accompanied”. The most popular Of all of them it is probably that of a woman from Shandong province whose surname is Li. She was the one who hired Fu Linghai, a second-year Physical Education student, months ago to climb Mount Tai. Li wanted to have the experience with her three-year-old daughter, but her husband could not join the expedition. What did he do? Searching the Internet until he found Fu.

Since the baby carrier with the girl weighed about the same as a backpack, the young man offered to provide the service for 518 euros, an amount that Li considered reasonable. The image of the university student carrying the little girl at a good pace and agility caught people’s attention, so it ended up immortalized in a video. The magic of the Chinese networks did the rest and his case ended up reaching media outlets such as ChinaDaily, First Post, Global Times or the chain cnn.

What exactly do they do? Fu’s case is quite illustrative, although there are media that they talk of how the pei pa They are also responsible for keeping company, just like true climbing “buddies”: they chat, sing, tell jokes, encourage, help when necessary… Wendy Chen, who couldn’t find anyone to accompany her to the top of Tai, relates how his companion planned the best route, carried his backpack, rented him a coat and took photos of him.

All for 350 yuan, 49 dollars. Interestingly, Chen slip an idea: The more handsome the companion is, the higher his rate can be expected to be. “Attractiveness is part of his strength.”

Is it a strange phenomenon? Not at all. The phenomenon of pei pa They are better understood in light of two other trends. One is the hobby for the outdoor sports in China and interest in mountains. Recently Channel News Asia revealed in fact how the demand for “climbing buddies” was experiencing a rebound coinciding with the autumn holidays and the National Day of the People’s Republicwhich is celebrated in October.

The other phenomenon is that of the peiban jingjithe “accompaniment economy”, and which basically encompasses businesses created to provide paid companionship to clients in certain circumstances, such as during games, shopping or outdoor activities. In fact, there are those who have already related its rise to the social changes that the country is experiencing, where fewer and fewer people are getting married. If the forecasts do not fail, this will be the year with the fewest nuptials since 1980.

a few months ago Malay Mail claimed The sector is expected to reach a notable value in 2025 and there are already people offering services of this type for $33 an hour. “Beyond material goods, people are increasingly looking for experiential consumption that improves their quality of life,” explains to CNA Dr. Zhao Litao, from the East Asia Institute.

Images | Xiquinhosilva (Flickr) 1 and 2, Andrew and Annemarie (Flickr)

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