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Great Wall
GROUP
Adventure Hike (With Lunch)
TOUR G5: Hike from Shixiaguan
Pass (Stone Gorge Pass) Wild
Wall
to Ruined Badaling
This tour is closed.
Highlights:
* Experiencing the physical challenge and the
amazing views, the hiking tour from Shixiaguan Pass to Badaling sections
is an ideal place for hiking enthusiasts to test themselves against
its steep gradients and to enjoy the landscape; it's less crowded,
and provides a unique view of the Wall, watchtowers and magnificent
scenery. It's really a fun and authentic Great Wall experience.
* These two sections of Great Wall are in their original state,
giving you a true and detailed look at how the Great Wall functions.
While other companies bus you from section to section, Great Wall
Adventure Club lets you personally experience the majesty of the
Great Wall by allowing you to physically pass from one section to
the next. In contrast to driving across, this lets you see the
differences between the restored, maintained, section on one side
and the radically different "wild wall" on the other.
*Lunch is included.
*Group tour available on every Tuesday, Thursday,
Saturday & Sunday. Private tours are available on any
date upon request.
"Just
want to say I really enjoyed my hike of The Wall, and lunch, today!
We were lucky we had good weather -- and no snakes! Ha. The other
two guests were very nice, and Gerry was a great guide -- super-nice
guy, very good English, and knowledgeable. I can finally say I've
been to The Wall. Yay! It was so impressive. Hopefully I can see
more of it another time." -- Feedback from one of G5 hikers of
August 2012.
Detailed Hiking Itinerary
(Shixiaguan Pass to Badaling - 4-5 hours to hike across)
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 You will be picked up at your hotel (or
a nearby area) from 7:00 am by your English-speaking guide and driver,
and from there we will drive to the Shixiaguan Pass Great Wall.
It is about 70km away, and will take us approx. 1.5 hours of
driving. After we arrive in the Great Wall area, we'll
have some lunch at a local restaurant. Following lunch we’ll
start our hike.
We;ll
start with the Badaling section of the Great Wall. The
ruined Badaling Great Wall (now officially named “Ancient
Badaling Great Wall”) is 10km southwest of the restored
Badaling Great Wall. So, as its name hints, this section of
the Great Wall is partially restored and more adventurous,
while not being easy to climb. It is the least touristy
section of the Great Wall around Beijing, which is
officially opened to the public (you are not advised to hike
the wild section of the Wall in Beijing). Its hikers are
mainly foreign travelers instead of domestic travelers, who
prefer hiking at the restored Badaling Great Wall.
After about 2-3 hours of hiking, we’ll cross over into Shixiaguan
(Stone Gorge) Pass, 5km southwest of the Badaling section of
the Great Wall. It is one of the most intact parts of the whole
Great Wall. In spite of serious damage, the winding wall set
in the lofty mountains reveals its grandeur. However, a
castle in Shixiaguan was pulled down during the Great Leap
Forward. Nevertheless, the wall remains relatively intact
because of its strategic location. Shixiaguan Pass was
originally built in the reign of Ming Emperor Wanli (about
1600 AD), which was then a key pass guarded by a large
number of soldiers. There are sites such as official
residences, the ancient castle, clay walls and brick walls
in the village. Most of the villagers know stories about the
site as well as the Great Wall. One of the tales is about
the peasant's uprising during the Ming Dynasty. After the
founding of Dashun State in Xi'an in 1644 during the reign
of Ming Emperor Chongzhen, Li Zicheng was the leader of the
peasants from northern Shaanxi Province, who wanted to
overthrow the emperors and the Ming Dynasty. Li led his army
east to Badaling Pass. While the rebels were trying to think
of a way to occupy Badaling Pass, an old man advised them to
pretend to lead the army to Shixiaguan Pass. The general of
the official army in Badaling was cheated into going to
Shixiaguan Pass, which gave Li the opportunity to enter
Beijing through Badaling successfully. Emperor Chongzhen
committed suicide, ending the Ming Dynasty. Li proclaimed
himself Emperor of the Shun Dynasty which was short-lived,
as about a month later, his army was defeated by the Manchus,
who established the Qing Dynasty.
After another 2-3 hours of hiking,
we’ll walk down the Great Wall and have a late lunch. Then
we'll drive back into Beijing at
about 5 -6 pm.
This hike only goes to the unrestored
part of Badaling. It is totally different from the
Badaling you have heard.
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