I woke up for the second day of hiking the Great Wall to a very warm, wet day. The rain was steady and drenching as we drove to the trailhead on highway X516, between Caozhazi and Hualougou, about mile due east as the crow flies from the Jinshanling Great Wall Tourist Area. This tourist area would be the endpoint of our Great Wall adventure.
Here is a map of that area and the route of the hike:
After a rigorous hike up to the Great Wall, we found ourselves on a rugged, remote and challenging section of the Great Wall.
As I hiked, once again I was astounded that I could be so fortunate to be able to be in that place.
This photo should provide a bit of an overview of how rugged is this part of the Great Wall.
Here is the diligent, ever watchful, and pleasant Sun, climbing up some of the stairs on one of the watchtowers.
And again, Señor Trail marveling at the incredible, soggy view (being careful to not step backwards!).
And here is one of the many climbs required on this hike.
Note the crumbled wall on the side of these steps. To tumble off of those steps would certainly result in serious injury or worse.
This hike terminated at the Jinshangling Great Wall Tourist Area.
From this tourist area, there is a cable car that goes up to the Great Wall. There are some tourist trappings (gift shop, photographer, etc.) at a watchtower on the Great Wall near the terminus of the cable car.
Very few tourists venture much beyond the gift shop; between the trailhead where we started and the watchtower gift shop we encountered only a one fellow hiker. She had evidently started her hike at the gift shop watchtower and would end at the trailhead where we began ours.
Not too many months after this experience, the world shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. China has not reopened and it is unclear when and if it will reopen to this type of adventure.
I count myself fortunate to have jumped through this window of opportunity, seemingly at the last possible moment.
Full Photo Gallery
Here is the full photo gallery for this second day of hiking on the Great Wall:
