This was the 4th time to get on the Great Wall in Beijing area.
1. In October 2009 it was done neatly by taking a tourist bus to one of the ticketed locations, we were given 3 hours on wall and bus back to Beijing
2. Then in November 2010 Kristel and GT discovered a new way - wild hikes on not restored stretches of wall
3. The idea of wild hikes got me hooked, in April 2011 we went to the wild hike with Lauri. Luckily previous night it had been snowing (not often happening in Beijing!) so that all the mountains were in amazing white.
4. And almost exactly 1 year later in this March once again I was in Beijing. Once again it started to snow at night (first time this winter!) and in the morning everything was in amazing white. In the meeting point instructor informed the route have to be changed because of the heavy snow on road, but hell, both locations would be new experience anyway, so in my eyes both places were same good.
Starting point, small village around 1.5hours from central Beijing.
Mesmerizing views and quietness after about 1 hour of hard uphill.
Untouched stretches of the Wall.
Usual hikers are foreign Beijingers, some of them joining in every week, thus the atmosphere is very relaxed and easygoing, much different from regular tourist trips to the 3 officially opened Wall visiting locations. Hikers webpage.
Back to Qingdao & Rizhao
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