To start the hike, we followed a trail from a roadside settlement into the hills.

For the first part of the hike we were on farm trails that local farmers use to get to their chestnut orchards. The big trees in this photo are chestnut trees.

The mist started to clear, and sun came out. With all our layers on we felt quite hot, despite air temperatures around 0°C.

We climbed a hill, and took a break in a clearing right at the top.

The snow was deeper on the other side of the hill, and we were the first to leave our footprints.

The valley on the other side of the hill was also full of chestnut trees.

We crossed a bridge, stopping to take some photos of the ice covering the water.

The ice was about ten centimetres thick, with clear – and cold! – water beneath.

The trail followed the river, passing through a small town.

We stopped to greet some donkeys – this one was hungry, and tried to take a bite of someone’s boot.

Not far from the small town is a nice stretch of Great Wall. We stopped for a look, and climbed up a few towers for a better view.

There was a short, slippery stretch where there were no steps – quite hard to get past.

Here we are waiting for the rest of the group to make their way back down.

A tower on the hill, with snow on the pine trees – a pretty picture!

We finished the hike at the Walled Village – here’s a look at one of the houses inside the walls, from a viewpiont on top of the walls.