Great Wall
1½ hour from Beijing.
Visible by the naked eye from outer space, this UNESCO World Heritage Site snakes through the hills like the tail of a dragon for more than 4,000 miles. The goal when construction began on the Great Wall in 2021 B.C. was to keep out nomadic peoples. In 1985, an Englishman completed walking the wall after 1½ years.
Today the reality is that it is a steep climb amid crowds of other tourists from all over the world. Steps are uneven and often high, sometimes requiring you to pull yourself up and to hold on tight going down.
Some steps are simply wood rails nailed across the stone base to allow your shoes to grip.
Railings do help, but they vary in height and availability. Wear unloved pants or jeans so that you can bump your way down where necessary. Rain adds slippery to the mix. A friendly Chinese lady--who seemed to enjoy seeing me and with whom I tried to carry on a conversation--warned me to take it slow. So on a gloriously clear and mild day,
I stopped climbing a steep incline before my husband did and just sat at the side on one of the steps and enjoyed some prime people watching. The Japanese were particularly watch-worthy—many wore outrageous outfits for the venue—think high heels, tulle, and sequins. Later, my husband told me that what looked to be the top wasn’t; yet more climbing was ahead with no end in sight. He never reached a leveling off. Visitors can gain entry to the wall in 14 spots, and the wall can be experienced in other ways, like camping out in a watch tower overnight or even running a marathon.
Visible by the naked eye from outer space, this UNESCO World Heritage Site snakes through the hills like the tail of a dragon for more than 4,000 miles. The goal when construction began on the Great Wall in 2021 B.C. was to keep out nomadic peoples. In 1985, an Englishman completed walking the wall after 1½ years.
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| Great Wall in Beijing, China |
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| entry gate at Badaling Pass section of Great Wall in China |
Today the reality is that it is a steep climb amid crowds of other tourists from all over the world. Steps are uneven and often high, sometimes requiring you to pull yourself up and to hold on tight going down.
Some steps are simply wood rails nailed across the stone base to allow your shoes to grip.
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| wood rails on stone path at Badaling Pass section of Great Wall in China |
Railings do help, but they vary in height and availability. Wear unloved pants or jeans so that you can bump your way down where necessary. Rain adds slippery to the mix. A friendly Chinese lady--who seemed to enjoy seeing me and with whom I tried to carry on a conversation--warned me to take it slow. So on a gloriously clear and mild day,
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| view from not very far up at Badaling Pass section of Great Wall in China |
I stopped climbing a steep incline before my husband did and just sat at the side on one of the steps and enjoyed some prime people watching. The Japanese were particularly watch-worthy—many wore outrageous outfits for the venue—think high heels, tulle, and sequins. Later, my husband told me that what looked to be the top wasn’t; yet more climbing was ahead with no end in sight. He never reached a leveling off. Visitors can gain entry to the wall in 14 spots, and the wall can be experienced in other ways, like camping out in a watch tower overnight or even running a marathon.
Great Wall sections/gates:
Who knew? Near Beijing, there are five places to access the Great Wall. Each offers an experience that is different in degree of difficulty. Several offer a cable car lift. Avoid the weekends! Three of the most well-known passes are:
70 km/45 miles NW of Beijing. This steep section is very popular and the most crowded because it is safer and easy to get to. It is the one my own group visited. The section of the wall here is the most well-preserved and close to original condition. Other sections of the wall are not as well preserved, or have even crumbled out of existence. Bedaling stretches for 7.5 miles, though only about 4,000 yards of it are open to the public. A long, steep stairway leads up to the wall. I had been told to take the steeper left stairs (north) instead of those on the right (south) because it is more scenic. Some accounts say this section has a cable car, but I didn’t see it.
60 km/37 miles from Beijing. Another popular gate, the wall here has a handrail. Progression up the stairs can be slow, depending on who is in front of you. A fear of heights can slow people down. Faster walkers, who don’t mind steepness will push on around. Going isn’t so bad, though it is slow due to the crowds. But coming down can be scary.
80 km/50 miles from Beijing. Though a bit farther away, this pass offers a cable car ride up and down, plus the option of sliding back down on a toboggan ride. This gate is especially recommended for children and those with mobility difficulties. You can take the cable car up to Fortress number 14, walk to number 6, and then take the cable car or slide down on a toboggan from there.
A photo journey along the Great Wall.
More things to do in Beijing.
Best souvenirs of China.
images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
A photo journey along the Great Wall.
More things to do in Beijing.
Best souvenirs of China.
images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
Looks like quite the tourist attraction now. Gone is my image of strolling the wall, thinking of the history and the scenery. I'll never make it to China so appreciate your photos!!
ReplyDeleteI never realized the Great Wall of China was that steep. Great photos. I like the idea of going up in a cable car.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are great - and I can imagine the outrageous outfits - people don't realise it's so steep! I climbed a portion of the Wall way back in 2005 and woah, it wasn't nearly as busy as it looks now.
ReplyDeleteTruly a bucket list destination. So glad we got to see it. Thanks for the refresher.
ReplyDeleteAs fearful as I was of climbing the wall, getting down was even more daunting! :-)
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that the Great Wall was such a climb up and down but what an awesome sight and amazing adventure! And, as you point out, climbing up is hard work but the really scary part is trying to climb down without panicking!
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, at least for me climbing down wasn't scary. I think there might be other sections of the wall that are scarier than this one.
DeleteFascinating. I've always wanted to walk along the Great Wall, but I didn't realise it was quite so challenging!
ReplyDeleteI walked a small portion of the Great Wall in 2011 when I took a travel abroad class. I did not climb anything as steep as the one stairs in your video though! Some of the stairs were around 1.5 feet high - it was a good workout. There was a tall blonde guy in our class - Chinese women always wanted to have their photo taken with him! We nicknamed him Rockstar :)
ReplyDeleteWe went there about six years ago but with a private guide we went to a part of the wall where there were only a handful of other tourists around. But also no handrails! The kids enjoyed clambering up those giant steps, but parts of it were just crumbling.
ReplyDeleteShort simple good guide! I will certainly take the kids' option. Haven't been there but now I think I can brave it. Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteI was at The Great Wall 10 years ago at a point where it wasn't nearly that steep. It was not too far (maybe an hour and a half) from Beijing and you came down the hill either in a cable car/gondola or on a fast track on a sort of sled thing. I did the latter - don't know what I was thinking!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you were at Mutianyu Pass.
DeleteThe Great Wall is on my Bucket List. I really enjoyed reading about it as well as your videos and photos!! Well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words! It does belong on everyone's Bucket List.
DeleteVery helpful information, what is the cost to climb it, if any?
ReplyDeleteNot sure about cost. My admission was part of the group tour. Try clicking through the link and it will probably divulge that info.
DeleteThis is definitely on my list of possible adventures. I was just recently talking with a friend who just went and how there were many places to see and experience the wall. Thank you for the details.
ReplyDelete