We are pleased to announce that we have successfully completed our Great Wall of China Trek, and returned to the UK on Sunday 16th October 2011.
The challenge was gruelling at times, and the scenery breathtaking. However, all of the training we had done clearly paid off as both of us managed the challenge with out too many issues, and this made for an extremely enjoyable, fulfulling and unforgettable experience.
The challenge took place over 8 days, and we departed the UK at 13.25 on a flight to Moscow, transferring here for our 2nd flight direct to Beijing, arriving at approx 3pm local time.
Day 1 – Beijing 
Upon arrival in Beijing, the challenge team had set up a day sampling some of the local life. Even though our bodies were telling us we had missed an entire nights sleep, they were keen to ensure that we stayed awake for the day to ensure we would get a good nights sleep for the events ahead. After check in, the day started with a rickshaw ride around the local backstreets of Beijing, to see how the generations of local people have lived behind the glare and commercialism of the city. This involved a tour of a local mans house, where for over 200 years generations of the family have lived a simple life. Following this insight into local life, it was back to the hotel to freshen up for a meal out at a local restaraunt where we sampled our first of many authentic chinese meals. We were early to bed this evening, mainly due to being shattered from the journey but also that we had to be up for 6.30am the following morning, where the hardwork would begin!
Day 2 – Huang Ya Guan – Training Trek
After a 6.30am start, we transferred by coach for approx. 2 hours to our home for the night – which was a well equipped lodge. After lunch, we set off for a 4 hr warm up trek across a section of repaired and restored wall. Our initial approach to the Great Wall for the first time was breathtaking, just seeing the sheer size! As this section was fully restored, it was all steps, steps and more steps! This however would stand us in very good stead for the remainder of the hike. Upon completion of a very steep and long last section, our legs were suitably sore, and we even wondered at this point if we had indeed done enough training! However, we recovered well from this and our initial introduction to the Great Wall had done its job, and prepared us – both mentally and physically – for the days ahead. We ended the day with dinner at the lodge and a few sociable drinks, getting to know the group we were with. The next morning was again an early start at 6.30am, for another transfer to our first full days hike.
Day 3 – Gu Beikou – Off beaten Track
Our first full day on the road. We departed the lodge after breakfast on a 2 hour transfer to our next trek start point. Upon arrival, we had to beat off the attention of local traders who do their best to latch onto trekkers offering to carry bags for money. Once through the local village, we got our first site of the original Great Wall. This entire area had not been restored, and so we spent a full days trek on the original wall, climbing steep sloping sections, scaling partially ruined towers and following the original wall as it snaked it’s way over the landscape and beyond. Today gave us our first real glimpse of not only the challenge we had undertaken, but the sheer size of the wall and the tenacity of the people who had built it many many years ago. We had our lunch atop one of the towers, before completing our days trek with a very steep climb to the final tower of the day. From here, we had to trek down through woodland and farmland areas of the local villages back to our awaiting coach, to tranfer us to our second lodge of the trip.
Day 4 – Jinshanling – Hangover Day
Today’s trek was a challenge. Firstly, we were now on our 3rd days trekking, so the whole endurance element of our challenge was starting to kick in. Secondly, the very friendly team at the lodge from the night before had lit a camp fire on our arrival and provided large amounts of local beer for us to sample, leading to an enivitable hangover! We were hopeful that the fresh air from our next days trek would clear our heads! We were out again for a full day, with the morning taking us along part restored sections of the wall back in the direction we had trekked the previous day to see a section of the wall which was not acccessible the day before due to an army barrack claiming a portion of the land and blocking yesterdays path. After lunch, and by this time with a clear head, we headed back into new sections of the wall, which started with fully restored section with lots of steps. This soon gave way to the orignal wall again, and we found ourselves in the wilderness, with stunning scenery and steep sections of wall to negotiate. Again, the trek ended with a steep climb to the final watch tower, and as the sun set we made our way down from the wall for a transfer to our accomodation for the evening.
Day 5 – Mutianyu – The hardest day! –
All of our training and preperations for this trip had ultimately led us to this point. We started the day with a relatively short coach transfer (approx 1.5hrs) to our trek start point for the day. We had two main challenges today. Our first, was the excruciating 1,000 step climb up to the wall. All other days involved a climb up to the wall, of varying levels. Today however, was a sheer, relentless 1,000 steps! All of this, just to reach the wall itself! After trekking through restored sections of the wall, and some dozen towers, we reached our second – and biggest – challenge – “The Heavenly Ladder”. We decided to have our picture taken at the bottom to prove we had made it this far! The climb was awesome. Each step was approx. 1 foot high, and some 468 of them to the top of the wall! Upon completion, we knew we had achieved something, and that we had completed the toughest section of the entire challenge! To say we were happy is something of an understatement! A reward however was to follow! After trekking back to our original start point on the wall, and on another half dozen towers, we had the pleasure of tobogganing back down to our start point on a single man raft which was great fun, and a welcome break from the normal routes down after the completion of a days trek!
Day 6 – Badaling & Juyongguan – Repairing the Wall
Our final days trek was a welcome one. Following our transfer back to Beijing as our base for the remainder of the trip the previous night, we had a short coach transfer to our first stop of the day – Badaling. Here, we had the great honour and privelige of actually placing a new brick on a section of the wall which was being officially restored by local authorities, which we hope will stand in time for many many years to come. After lunch, we headed to Juyongguan where we completed our trek on a tourist section of the wall, with a relatively short 2 hour jaunt to where the wall ended in this area against the side of a mountain. We had completed a gruelling 5 day endurance trek across one of the most ancient and wonderous man made structures – our final step off the wall being a moment of both ecstatic joy and in the same breath a sad moment, as we knew our challenge was now complete!
Day 7 – Free day – Beijing
With our trek complete, we had a final day in Beijing to take in some of the sights – and also to recover – before the long trip home. Luckily our trek operators had laid on a day of sight seeing so that we could take in some of Beijing! We spent the morning at the Temple of Heaven, and learning about how Emperors of days gone by would pray here, and how local people now use the area as a haven to mingle, relax and interact. After a spot of tea tasting in a local Tea shop, we then set off to visit Tiananmen Square, and this was followed by a trip around the world famous Forbidden City. In the afternoon we visited a huge covered market spread out over 7 floors, were we polished up our bartering skills for gifts, souveniers and products of varying degrees of authenticity and type! After all of these exersions, in the evening we had our main presentation dinner at Beijing’s premier Duck Restaraunt where we all received our formal certificates for laying a new brick on the Great Wall and for completing the challenge.
Day 8 – Homeward bound
Following our presentation dinner, it was back to our hotel base in Beijing for our last evening’s sleep prior to departure back to the UK. Leaving the City at 8.00am on Sunday 16th October we could not help but think we would miss this mad, massive metropolis, and we were in a mixed mood – sombre knowing that our adventure was over – but also excited that we would soon be home with our family, friends and loved ones. After an initial 4 hour flight to Moscow, a 4 hour stop-over and final 8 hour flight back to Heathrow, we landed on UK soil shortly before 10.00pm local time on the 16th October.
Our challenge, and once-in-a-lifetime experience was over. We had done what we set out to do – raise much needed funds for the Institute of Cancer Research UK by taming one of the wonders of the world.
It has been an experience we will never forget, and took 18 months planning in the making, but we have finally completed our mission. Thank you to all of our family, friends, sponsors and well-wishers for making this adventure possible.
A full catalogue of photographs taken during our trip are available here.
