The sight of porters ferrying goods suspended across their shoulders up and down the steep steps of Taishan Mountain in Shandong province is nothing new, but another occupation on the mountainside has risen to the fore in recent years — climbing companions.

For many wishing to climb, doing so on their own can be a lonely experience, and so, paid-for climbing companions are on the rise and ready to accompany them up the 7,000 stone steps to the peak of Taishan Mountain.

These climbing companions, or pei pa, are often locals or university students, and offer physical assistance, emotional support and even local knowledge to weary hikers.

Chen, 26, has been accompanying tourists up the mountain for about a year. He leads a team of 50 to 60 mountain companions, including both part-time university students and full-time professionals.

Charging 600 yuan ($83) for daytime climbs and 700 yuan for nighttime hikes, Chen and his climbing companions assist tourists — particularly in their struggles up the steep and daunting 1,000-step Eighteen Bends section near the summit.

Chen estimates that it takes him about 30 minutes to carry a client up the final 1,000 steps.

"I've always loved hiking. When I noticed that many girls couldn't make it past the Eighteen Bends, I started offering to carry them up," Chen said.

Last year, he earned 300,000 yuan from accompanying climbers to the summit, he said. However, the job leaves him exhausted, often with little time to eat or rest.

"The physical strain is immense. After each scale, my knees hurt so much that I can barely walk. I'm basically pushing my body to its limits to earn money," he said.

The trend of accompanying tourists on climbs has gained popularity over the past two to three years, with more people offering their services online.

Many of these climbers are locals or students studying in Tai'an, the city at the foot of Taishan Mountain.

Yang Zihan is another of the climbing companions. Inspired by a viral video of a male student carrying a child up the mountain, since August she has transformed from being a livestreamer on Taishan Mountain to a full-time climbing companion.

She has accompanied over 100 clients to the summit, Yang told Chengdu Economic Daily.

Yang's clients primarily consist of male office workers aged 30 to 40. Her climbs typically take four to five hours, depending on the client's fitness level and the time she spends explaining the mountain's history and scenery along the way.

Despite its growing popularity, the work is not without risks.

"These personal guides operate without a platform or formal oversight, relying solely on agreements between the two parties involved. This makes it difficult to determine service quality and pricing, and disputes are hard to resolve through official channels," said Fu Jian, director of Henan Zejin Law Firm.

Liu Na contributed to this story.

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