A tree-climbing course was opened this school term at Northwest University in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, to teach students skills that might be helpful in a disaster or emergency situation.

位于陕西省西安市的西北大学本学期开设了爬树课程，教会学生一些在灾难和紧急情况下有用的技能。

 

According to the provincial¹ education department's official account at China's micro blogging site Sina Weibo, the university opened the new course to graduate students to not only give them an opportunity to observe a range of ecosystems², but also to promote the development of canopy³ research.

该省教育厅在微博上表示，该校面向研究生开设这门新课程不但让学生有机会观察多样的生态系统，还能促进树冠层研究的发展。

 

爬树课程（tree-climbing course），官方学名叫“攀树课程”，是该校“户外运动”（outdoor sports）选修课的一种，主要分为装备使用（equipment use）、野外生存（field survival）、攀登下降（climbing and descending）、绳索技术（rope techniques）、定向技术（directional technology）、急救技能（first-aid skills）六大板块。课程期间需要的装备有：绳子（ropes）、坐带（safety belts）、头盔（helmets）和索扣（cable fasteners）。