The Traveling Vet Girl

As I sat atop the watchtower, I couldn’t believe I was actually there. It stretched out before me for miles, and as the golden rays of the setting sun shone down on us that fall day, it all felt so surreal. I was actually sitting on the Great Wall of China! Since I was a little kid, China and the Great Wall had been something I learned about in school, but somehow it felt like such a distant alien land, that a small town Texas girl like me would surely never see it in person. But there I was, traipsing along the wild unrestored wall, marveling in its grandeur and beauty.

This article is part of my “New 7 Wonders of the World” series. The New 7 Wonders were voted upon worldwide in 2007, and include The Great Wall of China, the Colosseum, Petra, the Christ Redeemer, Machu Picchu, and Chichen Itza. While it’s certainly not a complete list of places I want to visit, it is my goal to travel to each location! 

There are a few common sections of the Great Wall that tourists go to while in Beijing, like Badaling and Mutianyu. They are restored sections of the wall and very accessible. Mutianyu even has a toboggan ride! Many tour companies offer excursions to these popular sections, complete with lots of people, a rushed tour, and souvenir stops. Can you tell I hate most guided tours? Ha. But I knew I wanted a more personal, off the beaten track experience. Luckily I came across China Hiking – a great company that offers hiking trips along unrestored sections of the wall. I chose a 2-day camping trip along the Jiankou – Jinshanling – Gubeikou sections.

The day started early at the designated subway stop for a meet and greet. We were a diverse bunch of French, Korean, Australian, German, and Americans that made a small group of about 15.  After everyone was accounted for, we set out on the 2 hour ride to our first stop – Jiankou!

We stopped for lunch first to get fuel for what was going to be a strenuous hike up the mountain. The traditional Chinese meal was shared amongst the table, and it was AMAZING! In fact, all our meals came from small farmhouses along the wall and it was the best food I ate during my entire stay in China! I even ate chestnuts that came from a farmhouse owner’s personal chestnut tree – AMAZING.

I’m not going to lie; the hike up to the Jiankou section was tough. Well, not for the other 14 people apparently, including a woman twice my age. I suck at hiking. It takes me forever to go uphill; something about my lungs turns me into either an asthmatic child or a 40-year-old chain-smoker. So I was the last one to arrive up top, huffing and puffing.  And bless him, the owner, Fred, stayed behind with me and didn’t make me feel bad about moving at the pace of a turtle (I did feel bad).

But boy, was it spectacular once I made it! We climbed up a watchtower where the wind was howling and cold, but the view was amazing! We continued hiking along the wall, which was completely unrestored. There were literally trees growing up through the stones. It was very eerie, but so satisfying being the ONLY people for miles. No pushing past selfie stick-sporting tourists or souvenir hawkers – just silence and the Wall.

As we neared sunset we made it to the last watchtower, where typically this tour sets up camp for the night. However, it was the end of October, and with the piercing winds and forecasted negative temperatures overnight, we had to stay in a farmhouse at the base of the wall. I was a little disappointed, but I was so exhausted that I welcomed the warm bed and surprisingly, Wi-Fi!

Only 3 of us stayed for the second day of hiking, and the next morning we set out with our lovely guide for Jinshanling. This section is restored but further from Beijing, so less crowded. It was a nice contrast to see what the Wall would have looked like in its full glory (and much easier to hike!). We made our way along the wall towards Gubeikou, another wild section of the wall, and once again became the only 4 people as far as the eye could see.

We ended the day with another amazing sunset, and I couldn’t help but think how lucky I was to be there. The drive back to Beijing was an easy one, going over memories made at the Great Wall – something I had once only daydreamed about!