Up at 5am I head off to the sister hostel for the mini bus. Trying to get some shut-eye on the bus isn't an option as I have met the lovely Sophie and Charlotte, both travelling independently so we share stories (well they share theirs. I don't have any yet). There is also the small matter of Beijing at the loose outside my minivan window begging me to sit up and take notice.
Our guide tells us we have a few options for today. Walk some of the start of our section at Jinshanling, get the bus to Simitai and do the same, walk most of it but use two well-known short cuts or walk the whole 10k section. We, of course, opt to do the whole shebang.
There's also an option to get the cable car up to the wall but we decide to go hardcore. We've walked up a steep slope then steeper steps when a group of three women who've been walking alongside since we started 30 minutes or so ago tell us we're nearly at the wall. It's at least 38 degrees and I've started to wonder if I'll make it in this heat. Sweaty is not the right word to describe it.
By watchtower seven, each involving a steep climb up, we realise the lovely women are hawkers trying to be our guides for cash. Being careful to decline their offers away from other hawkers so they do not lose face we let them down firmly and give them a small tip. We hope we've cottoned on early enough so the Mongolian women can try and make some more money. We found out they walk two hours each way to get to the wall just to sell souvenirs and be guides. That doesn't even include the hours it takes to navigate this 10k section. They do this every day and when they are done it's off home to do a bit of light farming. Amazing.
Watchtower ten and Charlotte cracks open a birthday beer. Brilliant idea. I'd have loved to have a beer at each of the 30 watchtowers. In this heat though that would have been utter madness. Each watchtower provides shade and all the walkers use them for shade and water stops. Despite the heat, you can't help but marvel at the ancient feat it must have been to get this beast constructed. It's amazing to be here and the views are stunning: fields of lush green endless countryside spread out on each side of the surrounding mountains and the wall itself is seemingly endless. Each path leads steeply up to a watchtower at the top of peak then back down and as described to us like it goes up and down a dragon's back.
Second beer at watchtower 20. Only ten to go and my legs have started to shake on each ascent. It's certainly one way to get fitter. More unbelievable views as we navigate each stretch and we've started to lose count by now. I'm pretty sure we haven't gone to far, then we see other people up ahead heading down a path into what must be Simitai. We cross a bridge then it's up even more steep steps. By now I have full on jelly leg syndrome, so much so that I'm not sure I can do a zip wire down across the river. That's until I remember it involves sitting down and hanging on. Brilliant! And what an amazing end to the trek across this section of wall. A great choice as I've heard from others that Badaling is really touristy and Mutianyu doesn't sound as good as this section.
Beers over lunch and congratulations all round. What a birthday! It's a quick beer after a clean up for me tonight. Ker-nackered.
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