What You Need to Know Before Hiking in Beijing

As the weather warms up, flowers blossom, and green buds begin to unfurl on the tips of tree branches, it's the perfect time to get hiking. There are many excellent places to hike around Beijing, but a great day out can be spoiled by not being prepared. 

As such, here are some essentials to pack before you go on your hike: 

Food and water

Food items and bottled water at major touristy destinations are often hyper-inflated and lacking in the nutritional qualities you'll need after a long day of walking. For that reason, we suggest packing your own food and drinks so as to save money and your health. Don't forget to bring your picnic supplies either: reusable cups, plates, utensils, reusable cloth napkins and a small pocket knife will all make your lunch break much more civilized. For chic, reusable supplies, check out The Bulk House.

A trash bag

"Leave only footprints, take only photographs". Sadly, many people hiking in the Beijing area are unaware of this sacred hiker's philosophy, discarding their trash without a thought, and ruining the beautiful scenery for others. Don't be one of these people. Take a trash bag with you, so you can easily collect any food scraps and containers to dispose of later. Many hikers also make it a habit to pick up trash that they find along the way too, doing their bit to protect the natural environment and wildlife as they go. 

Layers/sunscreen/a mask

Even in Spring, it can get chilly out there in the wilderness, so be sure to bring adequate layers. Additionally, don't forget your favorite sunscreen, and a face mask depending on the air quality on the day of your expedition.

A portable charger

After filling up almost half of your phone storage with pictures before you even get to the peak, your phone battery will most likely be under 50 percent. In order to capture all the Insta-worthy moments on the peak, bring a fully-charged portable charger with you.

READ: Feast Your Eyes on Fall Foliage at These Beijing Mountain Parks

If you’re looking for a hiking buddy, here are four hiking group websites:
 

Beijing Hikers

As one of the most popular Beijing hiking groups, Beijing Hikers set out on several walks of varying difficulty levels all around the city suburbs per week. Their tour guides are knowledgeable and bilingual so you're in good hands. Prices range from around RMB 390-500 per hike and include transport.
 

China Hiking

China Hiking offers a similar concept to Beijing Hikers but with fractionally higher prices. They also offer more multi-day hikes, which include night stays at farmhouses so you can truly escape the Beijing sprawl. Prices for single-day hikes cost around RMB 600.

Pacer

Pacer Outdoors is a hiking and camping club run by popular fitness app Pacer Pedometers. The group makes for a fun way to meet and hang out with fellow hikers and tackle various hiking routes on the Great Wall and elsewhere around Beijing. They organize weekly hiking day trips for around RMB 200 as well as small group day trips (2-6 participants) for around RMB 700.
 

Meetup

If you don’t want to pay for a tour guide like with the previous two groups, Meetup allows you to discover organized hiking adventures between Beijingers. Many of these groups are non-for-profit and solely for the purpose of getting together and exploring Beijing.

With the essentials packed and your hiking buddy by your side, you’re all set to travel outside of the city to enjoy some peace and quiet. Do keep in mind that there will still be a lot of tourists at major hiking spots, so be mentally prepared to face some human traffic while trekking up the mountains!

Got everything you need? Now check out these hikes once you've exhausted Mutianyu and Badaling.

Images: mylittleadventure.com, rangermade.net, yarnspirations.com, travelandleisure.com, courtesy of the organizers