A moderately-difficult loop hike in Beijing’s northwest that follows old roads and tracks through the mountains to pass by Big Tiger Stone and through Yellowstone Gap, with a good climb near the end to check out a short stretch of repaired Great Wall.
The hike
After a short walk from the village square, we’ll be on to a rough gravel road that leads up into the mountains. The road was built in order to access some fields farther up the valley.
The land farther up the valley is rather marginal in terms of farming – there’s not a lot of flat ground in between the steep sides of the valley. The fields are mostly fallow now. We’ll spot a few little shacks and farmhouses on the way up, and in the right season we’ll be able to pick some wild hawthorns.
As we get further into the valley the hills turn into crags and we’ll be in for the main ascent of the hike, working our way up a hillside to cross over at a pass in the mountains. The trail gets steep just before the pass, and it’s quite a taxing climb.
On the other side of the pass the trail will take us down through forest and then out through a mostly-abandoned village. After walking through the village we’ll get on to a concreted road for an easy walk of 30-40 minutes down another valley. We’ll come out to the main road, on the Hebei side of the border.
The last part of the hike will take us up a hillside track to see a short stretch of repaired Great Wall. The hill track is steep in a few places, starting with a walk by apple trees and then heading into forest. (We might actually do this part at the start of the hike.)
Cost: ¥400 / ¥360 for members
See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/1715/yellowstone-gap-2/
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