LESSONS LEARNED: A man injured while hiking at the Lingshan Mountain in suburban Beijing recounts his tale on December 26, 2012 (CFP)

No gesture of filial piety can prevent the occasional cruelty of Mother Nature.

On January 1, 2013, a septuagenarian went into cardiac arrest during a winter swim in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. The plunge into the chilly sea cost him his life despite warnings from the local swimming association that immersion in low-temperature waters could have a negative impact on the physical well-being of elderly people.

Death as a result of some physical activity outdoors occurs frequently across the country. On December 23, 2012, two missing female hikers were confirmed dead on the Lingshan Mountain, the highest peak in suburban Beijing. The victims had gone hiking with a group of more than 10 people. The previous day, the Beijing Meteorological Station issued cold snap and blizzard alerts. When the weather worsened, the rest of the group turned back, but the two women proceeded, leaving their packs at the foot of the mountain.

"I am surprised that they would choose to leave the luggage behind," said Li Shuping, a member of the Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA). "Without equipment and food and thick clothes, it is almost impossible to survive in the mountains under minus 30 degrees centigrade, not to mention getting lost and trapped overnight on the mountain."

Tragic accidents

According to statistics from the CMA, from 2001 to 2011, 220 people died in outdoor activities.

"Most people died due to the poor preparation and lack of professional knowledge of outdoor activities." Li said. "Novices are not provided with enough safety expertise."

"Eighty percent of outdoor sporting groups are organized online, and almost every time, the organizers deny liability," said Zhang Jiantu, Deputy Director of the Chongqing Expedition Association. "Participants split the costs of the trip and buy insurance on their own."

Outdoor activities have recently become profitable, Xiao Feiyi, a veteran hiker, revealed to the Chongqing Business Daily. "The organizers would lead the participants to some outdoor sporting goods shops or specific hostels to earn commissions," he said.

Xiao said that such groups also have another problem: As they are often comprised of strangers, they are not inclined to make collective decisions and may split up mid-hike.

"It was my first time hiking and will be the last," said Wu Xiao, who survived an accident during an expedition with 35 people on September 11, 2009. Organized online, the group was caught in a torrential flood in a mountainous area near Chongqing. The accident killed 19, making it the deadliest outdoor sporting accident so far in China.

Wu revealed that among the nearly three dozen people, quite a few were first-timers and furthermore, some could not swim. But before setting off, the organizer just held two brief meetings and charged 220 yuan ($35) each. No training was offered and participants were not duly informed of the risks.

In the Lingshan accident, when the two victims decided to leave the group and ascend the mountain alone, the other hikers did not even know the pair had left their bags behind.