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Wednesday February 10th, 2010
Zhuangdaokou to Huanghuacheng
We will begin this hike at Zhuangdaokou and take a look at the 300-year old ‘Phoenix and Dragon’ pine trees before hiking up to the Zhuangdaokou Great Wall. From the wall, we have the option of an easy, flat walk, or a tougher climb up to some of the towers – both options ending up at the Walled Village, a village that has grown up inside and around an old army barracks that used to house soldiers tasked with guarding the Great Wall. 2-3 hours of relaxed walking, price includes lunch at a restaurant at the foot of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall. Hikers with extra energy have the option to finish lunch early and take a short climb up.
Zhuangdaokou to Huanghuacheng - Basic hike information
Cost: 300RMB (150RMB for children under the age of 12); Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 1.5 hours travel each way; 2-3 hours of easy hiking; return approx 4:30pm.
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Saturday February 13th, 2010
Longquanyu ‘Dragon Spring Valley’ hike
See rocks, frozen rivers, bridges, Great Wall, and small villages on this hike in the valleys of the Longquanyu area of Yanqing District. This is a short but reasonably difficult hike that involves some tricky-but-safe clambering and climbing over rocks, and a bit of walking over ice.
We’d planned to do this hike in early January, but had to postpone after the heavy snowfall. It’s a really nice walk, especially in winter, so we’ve rescheduled it before the ice melts.
Longquanyu ‘Dragon Spring Valley’ hike - Basic hike information
Cost: 250RMB; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 1.5 hours travel each way; 3-4 hours of hiking; return approx 5:30pm.
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Saturday February 13th, 2010
Valentine’s Hiking and Hot Springs Overnight
We have a limited number of spaces available on this hike because the hot springs hotel is quite small. Right now, we can’t fit any more people, but there’s a chance to get a place if anyone cancels - please email your name and contact number to to get on the standby list.
Soak away any hiking aches and pains at a small countryside hot spring hotel on this relatively relaxing overnight hike. On the Saturday, we’ll take a three-hour walk on a valley and hill trail that leads to the secluded, Japanese-themed hot spring hotel, and relax in the spa after dinner. On Sunday we’ll have another three-hour walk, finishing at the Silver Pagoda Mountain, and celebrate Chinese New Year with a big lunch at a countryside restaurant.
On this overnighter we’re taking a bit more of a relaxed approach to our hiking. The hotel is a 3-star - a step up from the usual type we find in the countryside, and that makes this overnight more expensive than usual. Please check the photos for a better idea of the hotels facilities, and read the full hike info to see what you will be getting for the extra cost. (If you feel like hiking this weekend but don’t have time for an overnight, you can still join the Sunday hike - Silver Pagoda Loop hike, Sunday Feb. 14)
The "Valentine’s Hiking and Hot Springs Overnight" hike is fully booked, and we can't take any more reservations. We can put your name on the standby list and call you if a seat becomes available, but can't guarantee a place on the hike. To get your name on the standby list, please call (10) 6432-2786, or email with your name and mobile number.
Valentine’s Hiking and Hot Springs Overnight - Basic hike information
Cost: 980RMB (600RMB kids under 12); Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 9:00am; 1.5 hours travel each way; approx. 3 hours hiking each day; return approx. 4:30pm Sunday evening.
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Sunday February 14th, 2010
Silver Pagoda Loop and Chinese New Year Lunch
For this hike we will follow a seldom-used trail to get to the Silver Pagodas, a set of five impressive 300 year-old pagodas still standing on the site of an old temple. On the way to the pagoda site we will take a long walk through the countryside, passing a village, quarries, and a local shrine, before a steep climb to the 780m peak of Holly Mountain. From the top we can look down on the pagodas and large swathes of the surrounding countryside, and as we follow the path down we will pass large bells, “North Beijing’s Number One Waterfall,” and plenty of other interesting local landmarks. After the hike we’ll celebrate Chinese New Year with a late lunch at a local restaurant - the cost of the food and drinks is included in the price of the hike. (We’ll be meeting up with the group doing the Hiking and Hot Springs overnight and hiking together.)
Silver Pagoda Loop and Chinese New Year Lunch - Basic hike information
Cost: 300RMB per person; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 1.5 hours travel each way; 3 hours of hiking; return approx. 5:30pm.
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Wednesday February 17th, 2010
Spring Valley Loop Mid-week
Head to Huairou for a countryside walk that takes in a lot of interesting scenery - small villages, streams, forests, mountains, and views of the Great Wall - and celebrate Spring Festival at the same time! The midpoint of this hike lies on the intersection of the Changping, Huairou, and Yanqing County lines. In late spring, this valley is full of flowers and greenery; at this time of the year we’ll be able to see how it looks in winter. The price of the hike includes a late lunch of homestyle Chinese food at our guide’s guesthouse.
Spring Valley Loop Mid-week - Basic hike information
Cost: 300MB per person; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 1.5 hours each way; 3.5 hours of hiking; return approx. 5:30pm.
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Saturday February 20th, 2010
Yajishan Temple Circuit
Yajishan is home to three temples originally constructed in three dynasties. On this visit, we’ll walk a countryside trail to the temple, climb the steps to look at the reconstructed Tang, Ming, and Qing Dynasty Daoist temples, and then follow a hill trail that leads through the mountains to a good lookout point. If you’ve had enough walking by the time we get to the temples, you can take it easy and follow the steps back down. Moderate difficulty, 3-4 hours walking with a few climbs.
Yajishan Temple Circuit - Basic hike information
Cost: 250RMB; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 1.5 hours travel each way; 3-4 hours of hiking; return approx 5:00pm.
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Sunday February 21st, 2010
Middle Route of Switchback Great Wall
This stretch of Great Wall in Yanqing County is extremely picturesque, and seldom visited, but its steepness can prove difficult for casual hikers. On this visit we’ll do the ‘middle route,’ cutting out the toughest parts to make it a little easier. There are still some steep climbs to do, but overall this hike isn’t long enough to rate as difficult - we’ll take our time climbing up and down and make sure that we have a relaxed and enjoyable visit. Three hours walking over approximately 6km, with one or two short-but-steep climbs up the hillside and the steps of the wall. Price includes late lunch of Chinese food and drinks at a countryside restaurant.
Middle Route of Switchback Great Wall - Basic hike information
Cost: 300RMB; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2 hours travel each way; 3-4 hours of hiking; return approx 6:00pm.
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Wednesday February 24th, 2010
Longquanyu Great Wall to the Little West Lake
Take a stroll through two small villages on the way to a seldom-visited stretch of Great Wall nestled in the hills to the north of the Ming Tombs. We’ll follow the wall up and along a ridge, detouring through orchards to get around a cliff face before rejoining the wall and following it on to make a circuit of the Little West Lake. When we’re done walking we’ll head for a restaurant at the foot of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall for a late lunch of Chinese food. Four hours of walking over approximately 10km, with a few steep climbs up and down.
Longquanyu Great Wall to the Little West Lake - Basic hike information
Cost: 300RMB per person; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2 hours travel each way; 4 hours of hiking; return approx 5:30pm.
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Saturday February 27th, 2010
Great Wall Spur
On this hike we will visit a remote stretch of the Great Wall that was completed around 1580, during the reign of Emperor Wan Li. After a good long climb up a hillside trail we’ll follow the Great Wall along a ridge, enjoying great views the whole way - there is plenty of Great Wall in this area, and when there is snow on the mountains it is extremely picturesque. After the hike we’ll get a late lunch at a local restaurant - the cost of food and drinks is included in the price of the hike.
Great Wall Spur - Basic hike information
Cost: 300RMB; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2 hours travel each way; 3-4 hours of hiking; return approx 5:30pm.
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Saturday February 27th, 2010
Full Moon Over the Rolling Hills
For this experimental Saturday night hike we’ll have a limited number of spaces. If it is successful we’ll start organizing more stargazing and moonlight hikes in the future! The route we’ll be using is a section of our “Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes” hike that is quite popular. Walking the full length of the 13-kilometer route would mean that we wouldn’t get back into the city until well after midnight, so we will be walking a shortened version that will allow us to admire the full moon and still get us back into the city at a reasonable hour.
Full Moon Over the Rolling Hills - Basic hike information
Cost: 250RMB; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 5:30pm; 1.5 hours travel each way; 2-3 hours of hiking; return approx. 10:30pm.
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- Currently no photo gallery for this hike
- Full description of this hike
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Sunday February 28th, 2010
A Long Way to Catch the Train
Before roads were built up into the mountains, the villagers of Xi Changyu had to walk for two hours over the mountains to get to the nearest train station. On this hike we will follow part of their old path up to a windy ridge with great views. After descending from the ridge we’ll walk through the villages of Xi Changyu and Dong Changyu, and then climb up a hill that looks out over the all the local peach orchards. Moderate difficulty but has an extended climb at the beginning, approx. 4 hours of hiking over 15km. Bring something to eat for lunch - we’ll supply water and snacks.
A Long Way to Catch the Train - Basic hike information
Cost: 250RMB per person; Bus leaves from Lido Starbucks at 8:30am; 2 hours travel each way; 4 hours of hiking; return approx. 5pm.
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Hiking schedule
We hike every weekend, and plan our hikes a month at a time. The schedule is usually updated by the 10th of each month.
The current schedule is listed below - the 'Brief description link will take you to a short description of the hike (on this page); the 'Full info' link will take you to a new page with detailed information about the hike.
Wednesday Feb 10 | Zhuangdaokou to Huanghuacheng |
Saturday Feb 13 | Longquanyu ‘Dragon Spring Valley’ hike |
Saturday Feb 13 | Valentine’s Hiking and Hot Springs Overnight |
Sunday Feb 14 | Silver Pagoda Loop and Chinese New Year Lunch |
Wednesday Feb 17 | Spring Valley Loop Mid-week |
Saturday Feb 20 | Yajishan Temple Circuit |
Sunday Feb 21 | Middle Route of Switchback Great Wall |
Wednesday Feb 24 | Longquanyu Great Wall to the Little West Lake |
Saturday Feb 27 | |
Saturday Feb 27 | Full Moon Over the Rolling Hills |
Sunday Feb 28 | A Long Way to Catch the Train |
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Current Conditions
Mist, -1°C
Sunrise: 7:15 am
Sunset: 5:43 pm
Humidity: 75%
Forecast Conditions
Tue, 9 Feb 2010
Partly Cloudy, high of 5°C, low of -3°C
Wed, 10 Feb 2010
Mostly Cloudy, high of 3°C, low of -3°C
View extended forecast at Yahoo! Weather
