Badalang and Mutianyu are the closest to Beijing and probably the most popular in terms of numbers of tourists visiting. Badalang pulls the biggest crowds and is probably best avoided in the summer months. However, it is easy to access from Beijing and has good customer facilities. It is accessible for wheelchairs and push chairs, so a great place to visit with the family, or if time is tight. It is, however, fully restored and thus loses a bit of it's historical beauty.
Mutianyu is the best of the closer sections of the wall, with fewer tourists than Badalang and the popular toboggan ride. Again the services for guests are great, with access for all and some off beat hiking tracks. Either of these two sites would benefit families and those less able to do a serious hike.
But, if you're thinking of escaping the bustle of Beijing, the crush of the capital city, and want some piece and space, along with some of the wildest must rugged views and wanderings on the wall, I would highly recommend Gubeikou. Sitting on the border of Hebei province, the village of Gubeikou is a perfect place to explore the wall. It boasts a fantastic international hostel called The Great Wall Box House and offers two very different hikes.
If you can stay here two nights to gain the full benefit of the two hikes and also the fact that evening meals are cooked and prepared for you as part of your room fare, then do it! There might be nothing to do after 6pm and nowhere to go, but the rooms are warm and cosy, there is wi-fi in the communal dining area, and the fridge is stocked with Chinese and some Belgian beers, as well as snacks and soft drinks. And besides, when coming from five days in Beijing, as we were, the peace - and lack of traffic and crowds and beeping horns - was just what we needed.
How to get there......
From central Beijing, you want to head to Dongzhimen Station and find the bus station there. You take the 980 express service to Miyun and you 'Pay the Bus'. What we did was see how much it cost in the guide, show the bus driver the Chinese symbols of where we were headed and then put the money in the slot on the bus. It's an odd system, 'paying the bus' but I sort of liked it. After all the bus takes us there.
Anyhoo, if you are carrying luggage, as we were, you may have to let a couple of buses go, but they are every 15 minutes or so, so not too much waiting around. One of the buses was full, one was too small to take luggage, and finally the third would take us and our luggage.
Now this is quite a journey, and yes you could opt for one of the sections of the wall that was closer and more convenient in terms of travel, but once you realise what awaits you in Gubeikou, you might change your mind.
It takes around an hour and forty five minutes to reach Miyun Bus Station, then you can attempt the death defying road crossing to change to the 25 bus, but the odds are that bus will be rammed and not even stop, and there are even higher odds that there will not be any room for luggage. So your best option is taking a taxi. There will be lots of taxi drivers out there, waiting, and you must haggle and agree on a price before you ride, but bear in mind it is an hours drive from Miyun, so something like 120RMB to 150RMB (£12-£15) is more than reasonable. Oh and don't panic if after ten minutes they pull over and swap drivers. They tend to place the drivers with some English at the Bus Station to catch the fare and then swap them over to someone else - probably with no English - so they can go back and get more fares.
Accommodation.....
They dropped us at The Great Wall Box House, our accommodation for the next two nights and having set off mega early it meant we were there around eleven am, giving us plenty of time to settle in and later squeeze in a hike. http://en.greatwallbox.com/about/ Check out the website for information and reviews from travellers; rooms and rates; and lots more information about the hostel, the wall and surrounding areas.
The workers at the hostel - except the cook - all spoke English and were very welcoming. We had opted for a private room with shared bathroom which was not the most expensive room they had, but one of only four private rooms. The other rooms were dorms and of course were much cheaper per night. But in saying that this was the most expensive accommodation over our entire time in China, it really wasn't much when you compare to prices in Europe or Britain. And when you're in a tiny village, almost three hours away from Beijing, with wonderful hospitality and food, you feel like you've just found the best deal.
Free tea, and hot or warm water is available all day every day. Cold water from the tap is not drinkable in this country; cold water is only available in bottles and you can purchase them from the communal dining area. The way they run it is like a tally system. So you write your name on the pad at the side of the fridge and every time you take something out of it you mark it down and pay when you leave.
Breakfast is available at a small fee and carries mainly continental style items, such as toast and jam, waffles and fruit, and orange juice. Again this is payable when you leave and goes on your tab. The evening meal included in your stay is served around 6pm, but if you are there at an off peak time - we were there November - and there are very few guests, they may push the time forward depending on when it goes dark/when the food is ready, so aim to be back from your hikes with enough time to freshen up before you have some incredible food lavished on you.
N.B If you have an aversion to cats or an allergy, this place might not be for you. There are around eight cats that call the Box House their home and they are super friendly.
The Map.....
This is one of my favourite things about the hostel, this hand drawn, completely not to scale, map. Somehow it makes sense. Somehow people manage to hike and make it back again, but the sheer vagueness and almost child like depiction of the area adds an additional wonder to this already legendary landmark.
The host took us to what they deem the Starting Point of our first hike which was heading out towards the 24 Windows Watch Tower, a walk that should take around five hours all round. But first she helped us out by taking us to a very local restaurant and ordering lunch for us. (No one speaks English here apart from the few hikers and workers at the hostel.) This was extremely helpful and gave us a picture into rural life in China. We were ordered a Chicken and Mushroom stew with rice, and believe me when I say every part of that chicken was thrown in. My partner was kind enough to hide the head when he found it, but the food was very tasty and obviously fresh. They also supplied Jasmine Tea. We might possibly have been their only customers, but as it was lunch time and eating is a very community/family led activity, the owners and workers ate at another table too.
Dog trying to pilfer some food. I don't think so.
The Hike. Day 1
- Firstly when hiking around Gubeikou, you need to know that it is not marshalled - or at least it wasn't when we went - and so you may be alone, or you may go hours before you see anyone.
- Secondly there are places where there are huge drops and not much to hold on to. You need to keep your wits about you at all times. Take it easy.
- Not all the turrets are in a state where you can enter. If they are roped off then stay out, they are roped off for a reason and are in various states of decomposition.
- This section of the wall has not been refurbished. It is wild and unkempt and absolutely breath taking!
- Take lots of bottled water with you as there is nothing en route. There are also no toilets, but the odds are you will sweat out whatever you take on as the route is not easy going. There are plenty of ups and downs, steps and paths, and very narrow sections.
- Take lots of layers with you. The temperature and your temperature will be constantly changing depending on height, wind, time of day and exertion. It's important to keep warm enough as conditions can change rapidly.
- Please take any rubbish away with you. It was sad to see some of the turrets flooded with litter. There are no bins and no patrols up here, so it just remains.
- Also take some small snacks with you, energy bars, chocolate, something with sugars and salts to give you a boost. You'll need it.
- Oh, and this probably goes without saying but I'm going to say it anyway: sensible footwear. Trainers, hiking boots, or something similar are needed to give maximum support to your feet and ankles.
We didn't come across anyone for the first two hours of the hike, but that just added to the beauty of it, the vastness of it, and it made it ours, no one elses. We did eventually come across a few bird watchers that were quite a way ahead, but I think the final tally was five people we encountered in our five hour hike. Ah, sweet solitude.
The Sarky Traveller and her walled kingdom. Behind is the hike for tomorrow, named Crouching Tiger, a tad steeper than the first day, but no less ruggedly handsome.
Reaching the end point: Looking out to the 24 Window Watchtower.
On a hike like this there are lots of ups and downs. It is not easy going. I'm not saying you have to be crazy fit - not something The Sarky traveller can exactly contest to - but if you have an injury or cannot make a five hour hike, then perhaps one of the other more accessible and family friendly destinations might be better for you.
There's something so majestic about this sprawling, sinewy serpent, the way it slithers and curls around the hills, clinging in gravity defying ways. And the fact that it survived so many thousands of years really emphasises the fact that they 'don't make 'em like that any more.'
The way back to the hostel wove down into the village giving us a bigger picture of rural life. There were people bringing in their crops, lots of yapping dogs - not happy at the visitors - and a whole lot of chickens.
As the sun was setting, the temperature really began to fall, and from moments in just a t-shirt out on the wall, it was soon cardigan, coat, scarf, weather. The hosts said it wouldn't be long before the snow set in and they were actually only open another few days before closing for the winter. Despite the proximity to the closing season, as you can see we had amazing weather, perfect for hiking on the wild wall of China.
Dinner our first night was in celebration of the official start of winter on the lunar calendar. That meant we had to have dumplings. (Oh no. Gutted.) They were incredible. Tofu, with spices and vegetables. There was also a chicken and vegetable dish; mushroom soup; rice; a bean, carrot and cauliflower dish; and a mushroom and pak choi dish. Amazing! And all freshly prepared on site. It brought all the guests and hosts together and was a really nice end to the day. We stuck around for a while, checking emails, drinking beer and chatting but then around 7pm everyone went back to their rooms, and believe me after five hours hiking the wall, all you want to do is curl up in bed and watch whatever you have downloaded onto your Ipad.
At this point I must mention the best thing about the bathroom here: the heated Japanese style toilets. It was actually hovering around freezing when we went to bed, so the idea of braving it in pyjamas to brush and floss didn't really appeal. But the heated toilet seat did. Mmmmmm. Bum warmth.
The Hike. Day 2
Before tackling the biggest hike - Crouching Tiger - it was time for breakfast.
All the points I made about the first hike are definitely relevant for the day two hike as well, but this may take up to two hours longer depending how fast you are. There is no where to purchase lunch en route, though there are a few local stores in the village. We opted for a large variety of snacks and biscuits to get us through to what we knew would be a mega evening meal. And again, many bottles of water were needed. I can't stress enough the importance of the clothing layers too, especially if you start early morning time. It may take a couple of hours to warm up and as you climb higher the temperature will fluctuate all over the place. Take care.
Tunnel
Bridge
Steps
Exhibition
Temple
All this is before you even start your trail up to Crouching Tiger. This time you're heading in the opposite direction to yesterday's hike and you will be climbing higher and steeper, a lot of it at the side of the wall, as it would be too dangerous to climb on it.
Water Break
There are a lot of big steps too and spiky woodland plants, so full trousers (even in summer time) would be recommended. This way also gives you great views over Gubeikou.
Looking down on Gubeikou
Still a few hours to go:
Yes, we're going all the way up.
You hit a point about two hours in, where you can loop down and go back, or you can continue an extra hundred minutes to reach the summit. The Sarky Traveller ain't travelled thousands of miles around the world to give up now, but she might have wished she had done in parts. 'I don't like it,' became a sort of mantra and there was some very definite chances of death. Anyone suffering from vertigo or a severe dislike of heights would probably want to turn back about now, because this is where it gets really interesting.
Yes, this was where we were headed next. And this section takes place solely on the wall. It is extremely dangerous underfoot and there are places where the stones move and you have to scrabble on your hands and knees, and haul yourself into the turrets as the steps up have worn away. This is extreme walling, but so worth it.
Two of the scariest bits, as you can probably tell from my face. 'I don't like it' was on repeat.
Now the only problem with this route, was the fact that once you hit the summit, you had to retrace your steps back to the original decision point, which is another 100 minutes back, and it's worse in reverse. But before we headed on down, there was time for some brief respite and a snack or two.
Be careful on the descent. It's beautiful but definitely a time to take it slow. There is no rush, and certainly no one chasing you.
When you reach the trail again, heading down, it's a relief but also tough going. The steepness and the loose stones of the path surface make for a slidey way down. You will do some of this on your bottom and you probably won't like it very much. Going up seems a doddle compared to the relatively short way down. Still, some beautiful colours and scenery.
At the bottom. That's where we've just been. What an adventure and what a way to see the wall.
We took the short time we had before dinner to explore a bit more of the village, and then it was time for food and beer and bed:
So that is Gubeikou. A fabulous find and not somewhere amazingly advertised to the wider world. I would class it as a hidden gem and would urge anyone who could make those climbs and who has ample time in the country to take one or two days to explore this litte hideaway. You'll feel good for it, the clean air, the exercise and the tremendous food. It is also a lovely way to break down the speed of your holiday. Five fast pace days in Beijing can really wear you down, but two days chilling on the wall, with very few people, can make you feel like the time slowed down for you.
Please visit Gubeikou and enjoy the wall responsibly. (I feel like an alcohol ad.)
Join me next time as we make our way back to Beijing for a last look at anything we missed, before taking a flight to explore more of China. Join me then and thanks for reading.
The Sarky Traveller
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