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THE GREAT WALL of CHINA

a 90km trek in aid of Teens Unite Fighting Cancer

‘You are not a man if you have not been to the Great Wall’ – so the saying goes in China.

A group of 37 people, ages ranging from 23 to 67, were thrown together from 16th-26th April. We came from the UK and as far afield as Norway and Australia and when we met up at the Zhongyan Hotel in Beijing all we had in common was that we all raised a minimum of £2,850 for our chosen charity and each individual had their personal reasons for choosing this particular trek on the Great Wall of China.

One of the most amazing constructions in the world today, the Great Wall of China was originally built to keep out nomadic tribes who raided China’s northern frontier, and is listed among the great wonders of the world. Known in China as The Ten Thousand Li Wall, it zigzags over 6300kms from east to west over the undulating terrain of northern China, and took tens of millions of people to construct over a period of more than 2000 years.
The challenge of the 90km trek was covered in 7 days and 6 nights, over varied terrain - sections of the Great Wall, some restored and others in remote areas with broken and uneven flagstones, and paths through woodland or farmland alongside crumbling parts of the Great Wall. Many steep sections up- and down-hill and always, always steps, steps and more steps! As we walked, the overriding sense of the immensity of the task undertaken in building the wall fuelled our imagination and took us back several centuries to when the wall was the frontline defense of Imperial China.

The temperatures ranged from bitterly cold nights around 5 degrees or less to warmer days, sometimes reaching 20-23 degrees. We experienced everything from cool mists and pouring rain to hot, breathless days with blue, blue skies, to high winds - so strong were the gusts that there was a very real danger of being blown off some of the narrow stretches of unrestored Wall and many of us had to negotiate these stretches on our hands and knees.

Our health and safety was in the capable and caring hands of 2 group leaders, a medic, 2 local Chinese guides, the coach driver, and 2 truck drivers who took care of our luggage.

Our charming and informative local Chinese guide Alan led us along the Great Wall and through the valleys and woodlands, stopping at intervals to regale us with the history pertinent to that particular section – often including snippets of Chinese traditions and folklore as well. We walked at our own pace with a group leader at the front and and one at the back, accompanied by our doc Neil – sometimes there could be as much as 50 minutes between the first and last. I am proud to say that despite the fact that I was the granny of the group, Judy and I were always near the front. We all carried a day pack with the usual suncreams, plenty of water, packed lunch, plasters and most importantly, loo paper! Some of us had underestimated and were heard bidding for extra sheets – the price was high!

We slept in very varied accommodation, ranging from a local farming village, with dormitories of 5 concrete beds with a 2” piece of foam for a mattress and a 12ft wide bed for 5, to simple, local hotels with wet showers and even what seemed to us like a walled Tibetan retreat. The evening meals on the whole were delicious – banquets of dish after dish of traditional Chinese food, served with tea and supplemented with our own supply of beer, wine or Chinese rice wine. Breakfasts were English style (we would have preferred Chinese) and a unique packed lunch of Spam sandwiches (I never want to see another slice), boiled egg and cake. Knives and forks do not seem to exist outside Beijing, so spreading jam on toast and making sandwiches with chopsticks offered a new challenge and entertainment.

This brings me to our first day….

Up early, bags had to be on the truck by 6.30am, breakfast at 7.00 and in the coach at 7.30 for a 3hour drive to the small town of Huangyaguan, which is situated in a beautiful valley in the heart of the Yanshan mountains. Here we get our first glimpse of THE GREAT WALL. At this point, I think everyone wondered what on earth we were doing – it snakes for ever across the ridgeline in both directions with its watchtowers, battlements and barracks - majestic, precarious, formidable and elegant, all at once. This part was originally built in 556, during the Northern Qi Dynasty and in 1567 it underwent major renovation.

Checked into what we felt was a Tibetan retreat (no hot water till 4.00 and room so cold we couldn’t stand on the floor), we had a sumptuous lunch and were then bussed further up the mountain to access the Wall. What a sight! Close up it was even more daunting and formidable. At this stage we were all doubting our fitness, but Judy and I felt better once we started and saw others slower and gasping for breath. We were told this was a gentle warm up for the next day. Gentle?? I guess that depends on your definition of 2 hours of steep uneven steps endlessly climbing up and down the crest of the mountains, forming the ancient border between Mongolia and China . Back to our retreat for wash and brush up and out to the one and only local restaurant for another feast. The evening ended with drinks round a bonfire – I say ended, we were back in our rooms by 8.45 – told you it was a retreat!

Day 2

Early start again - raining, but it soon stopped, leaving the mountains wreathed in ethereal mists. I volunteered take a yoga-based warm up, a new experience for many, before we set off up the steep renovated steps towards what appeared to be a sheer cliff face. Our objective for the morning was the Stairway to Heaven – 45cm high steps at an angle of about 50 degrees and 350 of them (I counted!). Some bright spark remarked that it was aptly named because you were likely to die before you got to the top! The exhilaration when I reached the top and saw the dazzling view of mountains in the mist stretching to infinity, was worth every step. We continued on steep tracks through forest up to the top of the ridge and joined the old Wall, following it along the contours of the mountain until we descended steeply down a slippery path to the valley below. Almost everyone fell, including our guide Alan. It had been a long day and taken us 7 ½ hours to reach the farmer’s house in Quin Gan Jian village. This was going native – the farmer and his family had moved out to give us their rooms –It was cold, and hot tea served in billycans was very welcome. Toilet facilities were sparse, 2 eastern loos for 39 of us (don’t forget the loo paper), and let’s not talk about the shower! Supper was local food around the bonfire (really cold now) followed by silly games and local 56% rice wine at £2 per bottle! Judy and I shared our dorm with 3 other ladies, sleeping on concrete beds with a thin layer of foam rubber for a blanket. I went to bed dressed in thermals, pyjamas, socks and 3 fleeces and finally found warmth under the duvet.

Day 3

Found us heading up a steep path through the farming terraces behind the village and up rocky hillsides until we rejoined the Wall, which is un-restored and crumbling here, and so we were often forced to follow a path alongside. There was not another soul in sight as we made our way over the rough and broken flagstones, and we felt very privileged to be allowed to walk on this section of the Wall. Another misty day, but somehow this adds to the magic and history of this magnificent scenery. It is spring in this part of China, and our walk down the valley, through farms and villages, was lined with pear and walnut trees in full bloom, turning the whole scene into a Chinese painting. A scenic 3hr drive through the mountains brought us to Jinshanling where we enjoyed another sumptuous Chinese dinner, washed down with rice wine or beer.

Day 4

A short hop in the bus brought us to our start point for today’s trek – the Gubeikou section of the Great Wall, one of the lesser-visited areas, and our longest day so far. Judy and I are delighted that our legs are holding out well and so far we have no blisters or aching muscles. Our rigorous training has certainly paid off.

Gubeiko, lying 120km northeast of Beijing on a strategic pass through the Yanshan mountains, was crucial as the key to the defence of the city. It was the site of many famous battles and heavily guarded by the armies of various dynasties from 7th – 13th century. Today we walked on un-restored yet well-preserved brick-made steps, dating back to the Qing Dynasty, the last dynasty to rule over this vast land. We had to hide our cameras and descend into the valley to skirt a Chinese military post –surely at 6000 years the longest held position ever! It was the only time in China when I felt ‘big brother’ watching my every move through his binoculars – an eerie and somewhat unnerving experience. The valley and surrounding hillside was covered in flowering fruit trees, and once again we were in the centre of a picturesque Chinese painting. We climbed up and rejoined the Wall, very steep and narrow now - some parts only about a metre wide with a steep drop on either side. This remote section gave us a flavor of the immensity of the task undertaken in building the wall. The day was clear and the views of the Great Wall snaking along the hilltops in both directions were even more beautiful than the days before. The accompanying strong wind kept us cool, if dusty, however as the day progressed the gusts became so strong that the smaller and lighter members of the group (me) had to negotiate the narrow parts on all fours, to avoid being blown off the wall and over the precipice. After 8 hours trekking we finally descended to our waiting coach for a ride back to our simple accommodation. A quick shower and a beer, and a small party of us returned to the Wall to watch the sunset – it was an exquisite moment to see it sink behind the silhouetted watchtowers and a perfect end to an exhilarating day.

Day 5

Another big day, walking from Jinshanling to Simatei. Jinshanling is also situated 120 km from Beijing and the eastern section of its Great Wall is connected to Simatei Great Wall, which in turn has access to Gubeiko. Jinshanling Great Wall was first built in 1378, and later rebuilt by generals in the Ming Dynasty. Ingeniously conceived and uniquely designed, it towers magnificently over the surrounding vista with an impressive array of strategically placed watchtowers. Parapets 2.5m high stand on top of the walls on both sides of a watchtower, and side walls have peepholes and shooting holes unique to Jinshanling, so that even if the enemy had mounted the Great Wall, the defenders could still put up a resistance.

This has to be one of the most remote and beautiful areas we have visited. Far from the tourist trail, hanging precariously onto Yanshan Mountain, the eastern section of the Simatei Great Wall is precipitous and steep beyond imagination, following rugged terrain that includes cliff edges and kilometer-high peaks. In contrast, the western section is more gentle with many well preserved watchtowers. Again, we were so lucky with the weather - a beautiful clear day, not a cloud in the sky and no cold wind – the first day we felt we could shed a layer or two – or three or four as the day wore on and we found ourselves cooking in the heat and longing for that strong breeze. We headed up the carefully restored steps which took us into the mountains for the last time, walking at times on steep, crumbling original sections and passing ruined watchtowers. The scenery was sensational, with layer upon layer of purple mountains fading into the distance forming a distant horizon against the clear vivid blue sky.

After lunch (spam again!) the group split up and the gluttons for punishment were invited to trek an extra leg of 12 towers culminating with the Heavenly Ladder, a 70-degree slope requiring hands and feet. How could I refuse – here was the REAL challenge. We set off at a fast pace, Judy included despite a bandaged knee, descending steeply for 40 minutes to cross an Indiana Jones bridge over deep water – now that WAS scary – and then the climb UP and UP and UP and UP…….. Judy at this point wisely abandoned ship and treated herself to a well earned beer - had someone whispered to her the Heavenly Ladder was 1000 steps? These steps were far larger, narrower and steeper than they had looked in the distance and anything we had done before, but I was determined to climb to the top. Six of us made it to the viewing platform and were rewarded with a once in a lifetime utterly breath-taking and spectacular view of the Wall stretching over the mountains all around, finally fading away in the distance. One I shall never forget. The descent was equally as tough, and the cold beer at the bottom was very welcome indeed. We all regrouped and the adrenaline junkies took the heart-stopping zip wire down to the complex at Simatei - I wasn’t heavy enough to reach the end and had to be winched in after dangling over the deep water!

Day 6

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, mostly in good condition, was rebuilt in 1569. Parapets on the upper edges of the inner and outer walls form a complete defense that hugs the contours of the terrain. Outside the Wall the mountains are steep, while inside the land is gentle, covered in rich vegetation. This is supposed to be the prettiest part of the Wall, but unfortunately our luck ran out weather-wise and it rained so heavily all day that we could see nothing at all. Our day began with a steep 2 hour walk uphill to the Wall and this time about 10 of us, including Judy, hiked up to the tallest tower, while the others descended towards the village –882 steps up and down and less than an hour later we caught up with the others. Two hours later we were in the village, bargaining for souvenirs and enjoying the best cup of coffee all week.

Day 7

Back in the coach for 1 ½ hours to Juyongguan and our final walk on the Wall. The Juyong pass is situated in a ravine hemmed in between two mountains about 50km from Beijing. Walls descend from the top of mountains on both sides to link with the pass, a bone of contention between warriors of byegone days. Two gates are built into the pass and a walled enclosure is built at the southern gate. Here we climbed up the last of the steep, narrow steps, some 50cm high, and found ourselves battling with an army of Chinese tourists on their way down – our instant reaction was how dare they intrude on OUR Wall! We felt quite unprepared for the frenetic contrast and were forced to resign ourselves to the harsh reality that we were back in the real world of hustle and bustle, far away from the natural scenery and remote tranquility of the mountains. We walked only a couple of hours, not nearly enough for some of us who would have loved to race up the steep steps to the opposite top tower – however the mood lightened when, as we approached the finishing tower, our guides leaned over and sprayed us with champagne! Celebrations and champagne all round – toasts to all of you who have sponsored us so generously, and photos wearing our charity T-shirts made for a great finale to an amazing and unforgettable week.

Day 8

Back in Beijing, we visited the Old Imperial Palace now known as the Forbidden City – enormous and decorative beyond description. It was Saturday and we felt that the whole of China had joined us – we are so used to foreign tourists in our own country that we tend to forget that that the tourists in China are mostly Chinese. The tour ended with a walk through Tianenman Square which Alan wouldn’t talk about. A last meal with the group, a last visit to Tianenman Square at night, and so to bed.

Day 9

As we say farewell to China we can hardly believe that our adventure is over and WE DID IT! We have learned that the Chinese are not religious but superstitious, not military but political, very proud of their history, sort out their problems the Confucius way, welcoming to tourists, but most of all warm, enthusiastic and friendly – and we take home with us the memory of the local Chinese in the park ballroom dancing complete with gowns, kite flying, tai chi with bat and ball, sword and stakes, formation dancing, keep fit, knitting, hat making, dominos, cards and feather football - wanting us to join in, and so we did.

‘It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop’ – Confucius 551BC – 479BC

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