"It's a tough test of people's physical strength, mentality and strategic thinking, as they must carefully choose the route of their ascent. So, ice climbing can change a people a lot. Participants, regardless of age group, become stronger, physically and mentally."

Eleven-year-old Xu Mingxie is one of the youngsters who has gained confidence and a passion for the sport since joining Yu's club.This is the third winter on the icefalls for Xu, who is also a rock climber.

"I used to believe ice climbing was easier than rock climbing, because it seemed that it didn't require as many skills and more tools could be used. However, I was wrong," Xu told China Daily.

"For ice climbers, we need to control both our body and the tools. I cried a lot at the very beginning, and I thought about giving up.However, I persuaded myself and kept trying. After three years of training, I have gained courage and confidence. Now I realize that we can only truly trust ourselves after we overcome our doubts."

Witnessing the growth of a younger generation of ice climbers is always an encouragement for Yu to maintain his passion for the sport. Yu had his first taste of ice climbing at an event in Sichuan province in the winter of 2010, when he was instantly attracted by the great views of the icefall and the cool equipment.

"Using this gear to climb the ice is an experience that no other sport can provide. The most important motivation for ice climbers is that we always want to climb higher and reach a point that others haven't, so that we can be the first to see the great views," Yu added.

Ice climbers can be found in cities across China. One example is a three-day ice climbing festival hosted at Siguniang Mountain in Sichuan province.