Blogs
China Trek
“For those wishing to mix the challenge of a lifetime with an adventure through a country steeped in history, grandeur and natural beauty, then the China Trek is the event for you!”
For a country with the biggest population in the world China remains largely untouched by the west. It is a beautiful country steeped in tradition, history and mythology. For those with a passion for culture and a sense of adventure – China leaves an indelible mark on all who go there.
Kidney Research UK’s Cheryl Lockyer along with a group of 30 supporters all decided to take action to celebrate the charities 50th anniversary and trek along the Great Wall of China in order to raise essential funds for research..
A ‘trip of a lifetime’,
It truly is a ‘trip of a lifetime’ because we all came to this amazing country to challenge ourselves for our own very personal reasons but we’ve achieved it together as a team and we all truly bonded as a group. We ate with the locals, slept five-in-a-bed, ate rice and noodles for breakfast, and have met the most incredible people and have made life-long friends from this trip . It’s been brilliant!
The views have been just incredible. Absolutely breathtaking and words simply cannot describe what our eyes have seen. There have been some very emotional stories on the trip and so we all ended up cuddling and supporting each other throughout. A real team who have all come together as one and all experienced a true sense of achievement.
There were guys and gals on this trip and we’ve all worked as a team, which included helping the four people who suffer with vertigo across the narrow parts of the wall and we’ve even slept five to a bed when we stayed overnight in one of the villages! On this trip you really feel as though you’ve merge deep into the country’s culture. We’ve been very lucky not to always be in the touristy area and we often walked through forests and woodlands, as well as along the wall, which gave us a nice variety of scenery.
The people we have met in the villages have been so welcome and friendly and we have enjoyed dinner with a mountain family, who were so kind and warming. An awesome experience.
The guides were extremely friendly and really well educated. Every evening they gave us a cultural lecture. One night it was about how China controls the population and another night about their language, fascinating stuff.
It’s been such a mixed and varied group with some fantastic stories. Apparently only 500 people a year get the chance to do this tour so we all feel very privileged to be able to have had this experience, especially as we feel that we have experienced the true China away from the touristy part.
It’s not all about walking, in the evenings we’ve held mini concerts, sang around the campfire and enjoyed being with the locals but we’ve obviously also had a few early nights and are often in bed by 9.30pm.
It really has been an experience of a lifetime – we would definitely recommend this trip anyone!
Come join us at Kidney Research UK’s China Trek Challenge 2012 for further details please go to www.kidneyresearchuk.org or call our events team on 0845 612 1226
China Trek
Day 1
We depart London Heathrow for Beijing, touching down in Dubai en-route, feeling excited but also nervous – this is going to be some challenge!
Day 2 - Beijing
After a chance to settle in and refresh we enjoy the welcome meeting and have the chance for you to ask any questions about the up and coming trek. After this we headed out for a welcome traditional Peking Duck dinner at one of Beijing’s famous restaurants. Yummy!
Day 3 - Beijing to Huangyaguan trekking time 3-4 hours
We make the morning journey out of Beijing and catch our first glimpse of the Great Wall ahead of us. After checking into our hotel and some lunch, we set off to the first section of the trek, giving us a good indication on the challenge ahead. Originally built in 557 AD, the Huangyanguan section of the wall was repaired for the first time in Ming Dynasty with bricks and for the second time in 1985. This section is noted for being particularly stunning because of its water towers which have all been restored to their former majestic glory.
Day 4 - Huangyaguan – Mountain Village trekking time 5-7 hours
Our hike today leads us out of the hotel as we head up on a restored section. By mid morning we reach the start of “Heavens Ladder”, a steep climb of over 200 steps. This is a tough section
but we are rewarded with stunning views over the Yanshan Mountains and the region below. After congratulating each other on our achievement we head up again to join the top of the ridge where our path winds around sections of the old wall. In the afternoon we are led down the valley and into a mountain village. Tonight we stay in local family houses, a wonderful
opportunity to see what life is like for the people who inhabit this remote area of China, an unforgettable experience.
Day 5 - Mountain Village – Jinshanling trekking time 4-5 hours
After breakfast, we say goodbye to our hosts and start out to take the steep trail across the farmer’s fields up to the wall where Heibei province, Tianjin City and Beijing meet together known as the “Three Bordering Tablet”. We then descend and make our way west along the wall until we reach the village of Longmen. We’ll take our lunch here before driving to Jinshanling in late afternoon.
Day 6 - Guebikou to Jinshanling trekking time 5-7 hours
We transfer to the start of the Gubeikou section of the Great Wall. If the weather is good we can see Miyun reservoir and the Wangjing Tower rising in the distance. Jinshanling is one of the
best preserved areas of the Great Wall, it was originally made of huge bricks, each of which weighed about 12 kilograms (26 pounds). The section we follow today also had all of its five
main passes and 67 watch towers restored making it a truly spectacular hike offering some fantastic photo opportunities.
Day 7 - Jinshanling to Mutianyu trekking time 5-7 hours
After breakfast we trek east heading to Simatai along a much restored section. Our trek today can been seen for miles as the Wall runs up and down the spine of the mountain. We will take
shelter in one of the many watchtowers on the way – you can bet that Ghengis Khan never had it so good when he broke through the Great wall with his Mongol hordes! At the end of the hike today at the Crystal lake you can walk down from the wall or for those wanting something a little less conventional you can take the zip wire off the wall and over the lake to the bottom. A great end to a spectacular day! Our awaiting transport will then take us to our home for the night in nearby Mutianyu.
Day 8 - Mutianyu to Beijing Trekking time 3-4 hours
Today will be our final morning on the Great Wall! After leaving the hotel and passing a small village we start climbing a steep, wooded track to the top of the Wall for our final breath taking views over the far off mountains. The section we join is known to be one of most beautiful parts of the wild Wall in Beijing, loved by many photographers. After our final hike we come back down to the road to meet our bus and drive back to the hustle and bustle of Beijing. After a chance to freshen up, we’ll regroup and head out to our celebration meal held in downtown Beijing a time to reflect on our achievement.
Day 9 - Beijing
Today we took time to explore the capital, jammed packed with its 17 million residences, steeped in history and culture. It’s been just amazing!
Day10 - Beijing to London
Transfer to the airport to fly home. So many wonderful, happy, amazing memories that will stay with me forever and always – this trip was just incredible, one that I recommend to anyone! Absolutely BRILLIANT!
