This year we traveled to China for Michael’s work and while we there I wanted to climb one of the wonders of the world, The Great Wall.
First thing about mainland China, the overall experience of the country wasn’t great at all. We were scammed out of money, constantly lied to in taxis on fare so the driver could make more money, hell we even got into a car claiming to be a taxi only to find out it also was a scam and we had to force our way out of the car. BUT, don’t let that scare you off about seeing The Great Wall! This is absolutely a must see and we would go through each of those crappy experiences a thousand times if we got to experience The Great Wall hike again!
First thing you should do, book a tour. We did a private guided tour with Great Wall Hiking and our tour guide Tao was amazing!
A little tip when you book make you sure you pay in full and not just the deposit. We only paid the deposit and after you make a reservation they no longer accept online payments and you have to bring cash (USD or CNY) with you the day of.
Getting there from Beijing takes about 2 hours and there is usually a little traffic so just be prepared for that. The day we went was sunny and about 70’s which seemed like a good idea to bring a jacket that morning. About 20 steps up the wall I immediately regretted the jacket decision. Remember you are hiking and exerting yourself so dress accordingly. We also didn’t bring sunscreen or put any on before, luckily no sunburns happened but you might want to bring this along since you will be outside all day. Hats and sunglasses are also both great things to pack if it’s a sunny day!
We chose to do the One Day Simatai West to Jinshanling tour. There are lots of different areas on the wall but considering we started at the East gate versus the West gate (which is the main entrance) we had very little traffic. I would also recommend going during the week. We went on a Thursday and it felt so private and remote while we hiking it was wonderful. I am told on the weekends starting from the main gate the wall is crowded with people.
Degree of difficulty, moderate. Michael and I are both very active people; hell I’m a personal trainer and we have done multiple hikes but this is different. First thing to consider, footwear. The part of the wall we hiked had about 1,400 steps to get up to the wall. So brace yourself. Now speaking of brace yourself, this is something you are going to have do…literally. The wall itself has spots where it’s slippery. Nothing terrible but I did witness a few people who just decided to go down on their booty rather than risk falling. It wasn’t super steep in those spots but choose footwear accordingly. I hung onto the wall and braced myself and took my time and I didn’t fall, which if you know me means it can’t be that bad because I have absolutely no grace. You can also use trekking poles (an option provided by our tour guide) which will help in those spots, although we opted not to and managed just fine.
Let’s talk water. First off, you can’t drink the water in China so don’t expect any water fountains and secondly it was hot. Bring a minimum of 2 water bottles a piece, you will need it.
TOILET PAPER LADIES. And gents for that matter. This is pretty common in most places outside of Bejing we found. Toilets are literal holes in the ground and there isn’t any toilet paper. So pack accordingly.
If you do find yourself in a bathroom and there is the option for a western style toilet, take it. It’s what we are accustomed to with a seated toilet. With the bathroom topic up for discussion just go ahead and throw in some hand sanitizer and baby wipes. We used both on the trip but we also provided those things by our tour guide.
If you find yourself hungry or thirsty on the trip or feel the need to shop there are actually little shops from local farmers set up in the watch towers. If you don’t want anything politely say no and keep moving. These local farmers have to pay rent to set up and sell their goods from these watch towers and haul all the products up on backpacks each morning to sell. After you climb to the wall you will understand how daunting this task would be and why the beer is so expensive at those shops.
Lastly and most importantly bring your camera! The wall is absolutely breathtaking! The hardest climb gives you the best views and this one was no exception. The sheer size of the wall and time it took to build and the fact that the wall has remained in tact with very minimal restoration is unbelievable. I wish I could put into words what it felt like to see the wall going on for miles through the countryside but you just need to go and see for yourself!
Love,
CV
