Competitions & Mountaineering

During an Executive-MBA Gobi Desert Hiking Challenge one year, our co-founder Josh Lee had an epiphany. Young People Need This! From that moment on, our Youth Trekking Challenges and Youth Mountaineer programs were formed. Since 2020 YMCE has been organizing school-based 68km Gobi Desert Trekking competitions, Xinjiang Grassland Hiking competitions, Hainan Island cycling tournaments, and more. China has a vast and diverse landscape from valleys to mountains, sea to land, and our aim is to have students compete, grow grit, build school spirit, and reach new levels in their own personal development.

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Our Mountaineering Department consists of a skilled and professional team of experience outdoorspeople. China’s first female from Guizhou Province to have summited Mount Everest, Namucuo Zhang, joined the team full time in 2022, now leading this department as Director of Mountaineering. We have successfully led student (12-17 yr old) expeditions to Kilimanjaro, Siguniang mountain in Sichuan, Xinjiang, with more programs on the horizon.

Our first group of Young Mountaineers successfully summited Everest Base Camp (6000m) on May 3, 2024! Huge congrats to these brave children!

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