There is alot to see and do in Beijing and in China. You can spend hours exploring the Forbidden City, a week seeing the Summer Palace, or just walk the back street “Hutongs”. There are also many pictures everywhere you look.
But a lot of these places are busy. Filled with other tourists and locals enjoying the same things. When it comes to the Great Wall though you can join the masses and walk alone the ancient relic in newly rebuilt sections, or you can get a little more rustic with your adventure.
I think the best way to see it up close is to go with a small group and hike it.
Dandelion Adventures is great company to try.
We met at the East end of Beijing at 7:30 am and collected our little group. Piled in to an old “Jin Bei” (a Chinese brand of what you would call a your standard mini van,) and off we headed.
Once out of the city and off the highway you get into the hills and switchbacks. Passing people who are on their three wheel bike/truck combos or donkey pulled carts with vegetables and fruit piled on top. We stopped in a small village in a valley. The sun just over the mountains and smoke from wood and coal fires rising up out the crisp morning air.
A little further on we get out of the van and head for the hills. It’s a bit of scramble up the side of hill and the wall just kind of grows out of it. There is still a bit of crusty snow that is wind blow like a piece of plaster pulled of the wall and tossed on the ground.
As you look out across the valley towards the Guanting Lake you can just make out the wind generators. There is a haze that you can see as the clear blue-sky changes to a brown black haze. Not sure if it’s pollution from the cities or from the local coal fires. But it’s cleaner than Beijing. There’s a tough wind when you top the hill and expose yourself, but soon are tucked back in along the trail. We cut down a switch back trail to a summer farming village. The place is normally home to 3 or 4 families, but now it’s abandon for the winter. Tiered field are visible with the remnants of sunflowers and corn, the leftovers from a fall harvest.
We break for a snack and try and get out of the wind. Once refueled its up to the top of one of the hills. It’s not that tough of a climb, but as you look back you can see how high you are and one slip will make for a quick, but long way down. We cut across the top of the ridge and can see parts of the wall for miles. It’s scattered and broken at times, but there is a definite line across the mountains.
We get back up on the wall, a major section that is ten feet wide across in section. It’s old and un-restored. Parts of it are falling off, but still seems like it will survive the next 1000 years without much help.
We get to low sections where an old dirt trail snakes down to a road. It’s another hour or so down to meet with driver who takes us for well earned lunch of pork, steamed buns and other things I couldn’t identify by wolf down like I haven’t eaten for days. It warms me up and as the wine flows my bad Chinese and some broken English translate to a toast to new friends, good food and great times.
It’s time to get warm so we pile into Fan’s car and head for the Hotsprings. It’s a great way to take the chill off and put an end to the knifing wind from the hike. Hope you enjoy the pictures.
