Yoga, meditation, and hiking weekender

Travel to the Bashang Grasslands for outdoor meditation, yoga, and hiking.

Level 3

3–4 hours hiking each day (Can I do it?)

This hike is not currently scheduled

Contact us for schedule updates or set up a private hike

UPDATE 2016/8/10: Changed the pickup point and time slightly. Now it's a 7:30am departure from our regular Liangmaqiao subway pickup point, and then 7:50am from the Lido Hotel Starbucks.

We’ve organised a weekend excursion for Yoga Digest magazine, and they said they’d be very happy if you came along, too! Interested? Sign up!

We’re taking care of the hiking side of it, and they’re bringing a YogiYoga instructor for a 90-minute Hatha yoga class and two meditation sessions.

Meditation and Yoga instruction is in Chinese; our hiking guide speaks English and Chinese.

The trip is suitable for children aged eight and over, but please note we ask for quiet time to focus during hiking and meditation.

Full itinerary

1. Day 1
   07:30 — Bus departs from Liangmaqiao
   07:50 — Bus depart from the Lido Hotel Starbucks for the drive to Bashang (approx.5-6 hours of driving)
   08:30 — Toilet stop
   13:00 — Arrive at the local guest house for lunch
   14:00 — Drive to the trail head of the hike
   14:15 — Begin the hike (est. 3 hours total walking)
   16:45 — 30-minute meditation in the grove on the hillside
   17:15 — Continue the hike
   17:45 — Finish hiking and drive back to the guest house
   18:00 — Get back to the guest house, get ready for dinner
   18:30 — Dinner
   20:00 — Bonfire, free time

2. Day 2
   06:30 — Up early for yoga class
   07:00 — 90-minute Hatha Yoga class at the guest house courtyard
   08:30 — Finish yoga
   08:45 — Breakfast
   09:30 — Drive to the trail head of the hike
   09:50 — Begin the hike
   11:30 — 30-minute meditation on the hillside
   12:00 — Continue the hike
   12:40 — Finish the hike
   13:00 — Back to the guest house for lunch
   14:00 — Start the drive back to Beijing
   19:00 — Back to the city

YogiYoga

Yoga Digest is a digital yoga magazine produced by YogiYoga, a leading yoga institute & studio in China.

Hiking trails

Day One (level 3 hike)
We climb up on to a ridgeline, steady at the beginning, and a bit steeper later on. We'll find a nice spot by some trees to meditate. After meditating, we'll hike on, finishing with a walk down a valley to meet our bus.

Day Two (level 3 hike)
After an easy warm up walk we make a big climb, peaking at a cairn up in the hills. We'll meditate in a clear spot with great views. After meditating we'll hike down a valley, then loop back to cross over a hill, finishing by walking back to the starting point.

Allergies

There is often quite a bit of pollen in the air in the grasslands. Hayfever/allergy medication may make this trip more enjoyable, especially if you’ve had hayfever in the past.

Weather

The Bashang Prairie is at an elevation of more than one thousand metres above sea level, and is consequently cooler than the weather in Beijing. The weather is also known to change quickly – sunny one minute, cloudy the next, and then a bit of rain before the sun comes out again. In the week before the hike we’ll send the weather forecast.

Accommodation

We will stay in a guesthouse near one of the small towns on the grasslands. You’ll be sharing a room at the guesthouse with another hiker. If you'd like a room to yourself, it can be arranged at an extra cost of 240 RMB, if a room is available—usually not a problem!

The facilities at the guesthouse are fairly basic, with a small bathroom that has a basin and a open shower over a sit-down toilet.

Further details about room shares and single supplement can be found in the documents we send you as part of the registration.

Transport

We’ll drive to and from the trip in a private bus.

Food

Main meals and drinks, plus water to drink during the hikes, are included in the price of the hike. We will take most of our meals at the guesthouse. Bring some snacks and some spending money to buy extras. Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements or food allergies.

Things to bring

• Yoga and hiking clothing
• Yoga ground pad
• Passport/ID card for registration at the guesthouse
• T-shirts
• Shorts
• Long pants
• Long sleeved-shirt
• Socks
• Light shoes or sandals to wear around the guesthouse
• Some warm clothing for the evenings
• Waterproof clothing, just in case
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Suncream
• Camera
• Torch or headlamp
• Hayfever medication
• Wash bag, toothbrush
• Towel
• Footwear: while sports shoes would be fine, hiking boots would be most comfortable; bring some sandals to relax in after the hikes