China- The Great Wall

  Jinshanling - Simatai, China
Monday, January 22, 2007

This was brilliant. We left our hotel in Beijing and drove for 3 hours northeast of Beijing to get to a place called Jinshanling. We were dropped off here and the bus went off with our big bags to Simatai where we would meet it.

Again it was very cold -1 or so. When we started walking we were joined by around 16 locals who would follow us a certain part of the way and try and sell us stuff along the way. They divided themselves up so that each of them was following one of us. I had a woman in her 60's I guess who seemed to find me very amusing for some strange reason.
This was the start of a 4.5 hours hike up the wall to get to a hostel in Simatai where we would spend the night and then take the optional trek up to the highest part of the wall at Simatai. Unlike Caroline and Michael who cheated and took the cable cars upto a certain point we had no such luxury as all the cable cars are closed for the winter.
 

Great Wall: One of the many steep steps

There was some very steeps inclines and it was tough going especially at the start. However once we started there was no going back as the bus had well and truely left. Because of the temperature I had on a t-shirt, jumper, fleese jacket, hat and gloves, however after the first 20 minutes I had stripped down to my t-shirt cause I was sweating buckets. This provided extra laugh for the woman following me as she was still well and truely covered up. The sights were absolutely amazing along the way and every so often we would stop for some drinks and photos. I think the locals followed for the best part of nearly 2 hours, but got very little out of anyone. The other funny thing was in the middle of nowhere about 3 hours into the hike we had some guy stop us to check our tickets. I think his job is just to go to that point in the wall and sit there every day, tis very strange.

Some of the incline were so steeps I ended up using both hands and feet to get myself up. And even helped out one of the girls but grabbing the handle that was on her day pack and trying to pull her up some of the steps. Twas very funny. 
 

Coming to a ticket check

After our 4 hour hike we ended up in Simatai were we had dinner and a very hard bed. As we were making our way in Mill pointed out the optional hike that we could do the next day if we wanted. It was so steep looking I thought there was no way I could handle it, and assumed my legs would be in severe pain the next day. However when I woke up I felt strangly fine and decided to give it a go.
 
We started at 8am, the temperature was apparently around the -6 mark, but yet again it didn't take long to warm up. Some of the inclines on this part of the hike are 70 degrees so hands and feet are essential to get yourself up there. I think this is where Caroline and Michael did their hike to, only difference is they got the cable car part of the way up (lighweights). Anyway after the first set of steps I was fit to collapse and give up but kept saying to myself I'll stop at the next tower. So after aroundf one and a half hours we made it to the very top. Mill gave us all high fives as we got up there. The views around were absolutely amazing and the hostel were we stayed looked like a little dot. I couldn't believe we climbed so high in such a short space of time.
 

We made it

We all celebrated with a group photo, some water and generally just sitting there and looking around. I also decided to celebrate by having a smoke at the top of the Great Wall. I don't think I know too many people that can say that.
 
We started our hike down again as we can to get the bus back to Beijing to catch the train to Xi-an. However at the bottom of the wall and before we get to the hostel they have the "Flying Fox" which is basically where they strap you to a wire and slide out above the lake to get to the very bottom where the hostel is. I don't think it would pass any health and safety checks, as theres only one buckle holding you in and its a long way down to the lake. Having said that 4 or 5 of us tried it and all survived it. I got the video of it on my camera. And will hopefully be able to upload it here soon.
 
P.S. Thanks for all the emails, am sorry can't respond to them all but time is generally against me on these things
 
Talk soon
 
Ed