We are still going on journeys, still traveling but in a slightly more sedate manner. Because of the time we live in, we are rediscovering the simple and beneficial joys of walking. Be it in the countryside, through forests, down hills, along ancient trails or across a vast expanse of desert or snow, this manner of travel has become increasingly popular in the country in the aftermath of COVID-19.

From May 1 to Oct 31, more than 140,000 travelers signed up for trips organized by Youxiake, a Hangzhou-based tour operator that invites participants to explore nature by foot. This represents a 9.3 percent increase over the same period last year. And the number of trekkers marching along its routes, including the Tengger Desert in Zhongwei in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Yubeng village in Yunnan province's Dechen Tibet autonomous prefecture, and Daocheng county's Yading in Sichuan province, has doubled, according to Huang Bowei, marketing director of the company.

Not surprisingly, more tourists are choosing to explore domestic routes, according to Huang.

"After the outbreak, people became more aware of keeping fit," Huang says. "Hiking or trekking in nature enables us to breathe fresh air, gives the whole body a workout and keeps us away from the crowds in urban public places, which fits perfectly with the requirement for social distancing. That's why these domestic hiking or trekking routes have seen more visitors this year."

Beijing Hiking Club, which organizes one-day hiking tours through the mountainous areas around Beijing on weekends and gathers trekkers to tackle long-distance trails, often taking days to finish, has also seen an 80 percent increase in the number of participants on its tours this year, according to Zhang Peng, the club's co-founder.

Zhang, 33, started spending hours on the trail in 2013 when his startup business went through some tough times.

"I felt that exposure to nature and physical exhaustion helped me counteract the negative effects of my distress at that time," Zhang recalls. The next year, to find more companions, he initiated a WeChat public account under the moniker Beijing Hiking Club where he would, and still does, post tips on hiking and trekking and regularly organize tours.

Since then, he has been running his startup during the weekdays and leading teams to trek across hills and rivers on weekends.

"Trekking has been integrated into my lifestyle," he says. "It's a liberating experience to enjoy the tranquillity in the wilderness. And the arduous, exhausting climb makes me feel the vigor of life."

His passion for trekking has taken him on many classic routes across the country, and the longest trail he's ever finished was 240 kilometers.

With poor internet access in the wild, it encourages people to chat and interact with one another on the long walks along the trails. Zhang enjoys the social interaction, saying he has made many friends.

Journey to fulfillment

For Liu Yanli, also a trekker, what she cherishes most is that she can take a break from her hectic work schedule and urban lifestyle to spend time on the trail where she can let her mind wander.

"Exploring the wild on foot brings me mental strength," she says.

Liu, who is in her 30s, first decided to go trekking because she wanted to experience scenic landscapes and majestic vistas firsthand. Her first trekking experience was on one of the world's classic routes, the Annapurna circuit, in Nepal in 2013.

Since then, she has trekked across fields in Japan, along a coastal trail in Greece and over ice-capped mountains in New Zealand. She has also traveled to scenic spots in Italy, Jordan and other countries to indulge her passion.

This year, she resigned from her well-paid job as a human resources director at a Chongqing-based foreign-funded company, and started to tackle more challenging routes that require trekkers to carry a full backpack for days or even weeks.

From May to June, she trekked over 1,500 km along National Highway 318, also known as the south route of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, one of China's busiest routes.

She says that she was inspired to undertake the route several years ago after she watched the American-Spanish drama film The Way, in which the protagonist (played by Martin Sheen) hikes along the Way of St. James, a Christian pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. "The route is the way of a pilgrimage in my heart," she explains.

Liu says that, until this year, her life had always run smoothly and lacked hardship. She craved the sense of achievement that can be felt after overcoming the difficulties offered by trekking.

Sometimes, people get what they wish for. "One day, we had to hike 20 km and climb nearly 1 km in a high-altitude area to get to the next lodge before dark. I felt I was at the point of collapsing, but I dug deep and got on with it," she recalls, adding that she cried upon reaching the checkpoint. "I was impressed and moved by my willpower. I'd never experienced that feeling in my daily life."

In the following months, with a full backpack, she went to trek across the snow-capped mountains in Northwest China's Qinghai province, the Tengger Desert in Inner Mongolia autonomous region and the wild part of Great Wall in Hebei province to experience various terrains.

She often records a travelogue which she publishes on micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo which has gained her more than 200,000 followers.

"Each time when I came back from a trip, the contrast between the harsh conditions in the wild and my cozy home helps to strengthen my happiness in everyday life," she adds.

Designing a new path

Each trekker has his or her own reasons.

For 24-year-old Chen Minlin, the reason was simple. "Completing different trekking routes is like collecting cards in childhood-a lot of fun," he says.

He has a passion and energy for sports, and during his college years, he once cycled the National Highway 318. That's why, after graduating as a graphic design major in 2018, rather than hunting for a job that fits his specialty, he chose to work as a trekking team leader and tour planner for Youxiake.

He says that they plan trekking tours for people with varied levels of physical strength to help them immerse themselves in the activity.

Chen has led nearly 90 trekking teams to the mountainous areas in Guangdong province.

He soon discovered that leading a trekking team is different from guiding normal sightseeing tours.

"I have to cooperate, get along with, and ensure the safety of, people from different backgrounds during a journey in the wild, which is full of uncertainties, such as the variable weather and unpredictable emergencies," Chen says. "That urges me to be well prepared for each journey and learn how to adapt to changes and deal with crises."