Like most young girls in Beijing, Chen Yu has been desperately waiting for the arrival of spring.

But unlike the other girls who are eager to shed their heavy down jackets and jump into gorgeous outfits, the 10-year-old Yu prays for rising temperatures so that she can get back to her favorite sport.

The season of outdoor rock climbing starts in mid-March in Beijing.

"When you find you can use your bare hands in the open air without them hurting, you know it is the time," said Yu, who has almost six years of experience in rock climbing.

Yu's father, Chen Yong, is also a huge fan of the extreme sport.

"She is much better than me now," Chen said. "She climbs three times or four times a week in outdoor rock climbing parks or in gyms."

Chen cites Yu's victory in bouldering, a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope, in a national juvenile rock climbing competition last year. Her best mark achieved in 2009 at the Thailand Bouldering Asia Cup.

Chen, who has a decade of experience in rock climbing, believes the sport is perfect for children.

"Children love climbing," Chen said. "You can find them climbing everywhere: on parallel bars in community parks or rockeries in gardens. Nothing is more important than a healthy body for children. And when they are climbing outdoors they can also get close to nature."

However, Chen is among only a few parents in Beijing with an "open mind" toward participation in the endeavor by children, enthusiasts said.

"Most Chinese parents believe rock climbing is a very dangerous sport, especially for children," said Sun Bin, a former coach of the Chinese climbing team who now coaches an outdoor adventure club.

"In fact, any sports can be dangerous. Rock climbing is safer than football or basketball if its done properly," Sun said, adding he has never witnessed a serious injury over thousands of climbs.

In Beijing most of Sun's young clients are students of international schools. "Rock climbing is a compulsory course in primary schools in France," Sun said. "But in China, parents are more willing to invest in an English class or piano class for their children."

Sun believes the best time to start rock climbing is "as young as possible" because "climbing is human nature".

"In Western countries, you can find very small climbing outfits and equipment for small children," he said.

"Modern lifestyles make people lose some of their original abilities. Some grown-ups find it difficult to learn rock climbing because they have lost the ability to use their body and they are more afraid of getting hurt than small children."

Rock climbing is a "small group" sport in Beijing with about 100 child participants, according to the Beijing Mountaineering Association.

Wang Xin, the vice secretary-general of the association, said the sport only came into Beijing residents' attention about 10 years ago. Few people are familiar with it.

"Most people believe it is dangerous and expensive," Wang said. "Actually it's rather safe and cheaper than playing badminton."

"Go to a rock climbing gym and for 20 to 30 yuan you can climb a whole evening," he said.

"For starters, you only need a pair of comfortable trousers and a pair of climbing shoes."

"It's a great opportunity for children to embrace nature and build a healthy body," Wang said.

"The activity can also improve their teamwork spirit and foster persistence in the face of difficulty."