Walking more than 150 kilometers along the Beijing-Chengde Expressway, after four and a half days of trekking, Huang Yale finally reached his destination, at which point he burst into tears. By hiking from Beijing to Chengde, this post-90s individual accomplished an experience that tested his willpower and gained an extraordinary life story.
Huang Yale is a native of Beijing and a third-year student at Wuhan University. Recently, he came up with the idea of challenging himself and decided to hike from Beijing to Chengde.
After doing some research, first-time hiker Huang Yale chose to start from Lutong Village in Beijing and walk along the small villages near the Beijing-Chengde Expressway.
On the morning of August 7, Huang Yale set off on his hiking journey with four packs of compressed biscuits, a camera, a compass, medicine, and 300 yuan in reserve. For self-defense, he also brought along a knife.
He walked about eight hours each day, ate only one pack of compressed biscuits per meal, and slept under bridges or in warehouses. Waking up in the middle of the night, the howling wind sounded extremely terrifying.
During the first two days, Huang Yale was exceptionally excited, walking and taking photos of the scenery. By the morning of the third day, his physical strength was noticeably waning, so he bought himself a bucket of beef-flavored instant noodles. “It was really, really, really delicious — I even finished the broth.”
On the evening of the third day, three men with heavy accents followed him and refused to leave. In the desolate wilderness with no one around, Huang Yale kept a tight grip on the knife he was carrying. It wasn’t until 20 minutes later, when they entered a village and the three men disappeared, that the hand gripping the knife stopped sweating.
On August 11, physically exhausted, he finally arrived in Chengde, and at that moment, he couldn’t help but burst into tears.
Three days after returning to Beijing, the reporter met with Huang Yale. Throughout their conversation, he didn’t talk much about the “hardships” of the hike — a smile seemed to last through the entire interview.
According to him, his original intention was to gain a different life experience. Having lived in the city for a long time, he wanted to endure some hardship, strengthen his willpower, and appreciate the difficulty of life. This ascetic-like experience brought him great satisfaction. “I feel stronger inside.”
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