Hike the old Qingchashan track up to the clifftops on the east side of Zhenzhu Lake for views of the lake far below, with mountains and canyons and cliffs all around.
The hike starts at a truly obscure location in Mentougou’s mountains.
Heading out west on the old National Highway, we take a tiny turn off on to a narrow road built out to serve a now-decommissioned power plant and its train station, and then turn off that narrow road into the Nanshiyang Grand Canyon, following a concrete road that is even narrower.
The cliffs of the canyon rise vertically, hundreds of meters above the canyon floor. We’ll eventually arrive at a gap in the cliffs, the beginning of the poetically-named Walnut Valley.
The hike starts out gradually, hopping over rocks in a rill formed by a washout.
At a fork further up the valley we’ll turn on to the Qingchashan Trail, once upon a time used by travellers crossing over the hills and by farmers making their way to flatter sections of land atop the canyon cliffs.
We’ll cross another ridge, and then make a climb on a zig-zagging trail to reach the tops of the cliffs above Zhenzhu Lake.
Some care is required in the cliffs area, as the trail runs close to the edge of the cliffs.
Here we’ll take a tour of the main outlooks, with some lovely views of the green lake far below, plus expansive views of mountains, canyons, and cliffs.
The hike finishes with a long descent on winding gravel tracks to come down from the cliffs.
Further down we’ll find some more farming tracks to follow, and after making our way out of a washed-out valley, we’ll walk down a gravel road passing the mostly-abandoned dormitories and housing built to accompany the old power plant.
Cost: ¥400 / ¥360 for members
See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/1992/zhenzhu-lake-tops/
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