We start off in a village that sits at a crossroads on the Jingxi Ancient Road, a network of old trails and trading routes that cross over the mountains in the west of Beijing.

Behind the village we stay on the path of the trading route, making a slow climb up ‘Flower Valley’ into the hills.

Part of the way up into the hills we’ll come to a split in the trail, and we’ll either go the steep way – a chain-assisted clamber up a cliff – or take a more meandering route around.

We’ll meet up again later and stop for a lunch break near an abandoned village further up in the hills

To finish the hike we all head back down the Ancient Road’s ‘meandering route’, an easy, downhill walk that passes through forest on the way to the end.