Taking the high road to adventure

Challenges

Fu Zihao has walked to Tibet on round trips five times. He plans to make the journey via 13 different routes before he reaches the age of 40. So far, he has completed eight.

The 32-year-old got into the hiking habit during the seven years he spent in France as a student. He loves poetry and longed to visit Tibet after reading poems written by Tsangyang Gyatso (1683－c.1706), the sixth Dalai Lama, who was also noted for composing romantic verse.

Fu made his first hike to Tibet in 2017. His last trek started in September 2020 and took more than a year to complete.

"I want to finish all 13 routes while my physical condition is good. Making the journey alone was awesome, but it was really tiring," he said. "I traveled for more than a year. I could feel my physical condition gradually becoming weaker. I had to take a day off every three days or so, whenever I arrived in a township."

Fu allowed himself a budget of about 100 yuan ($15) a day. As he has no job, he mainly funds his journeys through his savings or via family support and money loaned by friends.

"I don't really pursue material things－like some people who want to buy houses or cars or get married－or have any worries. I focus more on spiritual things. I write poetry, so I like to find inspiration on my journeys," he said.

"Sometimes, when I am alone on the road, I think about the big questions related to life and death. When I see the endless mountains and the straight road with the blue sky and white clouds, and hear the speakers (on his phone and carried in his rucksack) playing a song about chasing dreams, I shed tears. I need these shocks to move myself, to adjust my mood. Most of the time, I feel in a state of emptiness, enjoying the natural scenery."

Although he prepares well before every trip, Fu said such journeys can be dangerous because there is no one to help him if he meets trouble－such as the threat of hypothermia on the plateau or attacks by wild animals－when venturing through unpopulated areas.

He quoted an old saying, "Traveling thousands of miles is better than reading thousands of books."

Fu added that people who travel long distances need to have some emotional release during their journeys, so he keeps a diary, which he plans to use as an aid to memory and write a book about his trips.

"But before I finish my challenge, I just want to keep quiet about my experiences and enjoy walking alone," he said.