Dear Daniel,
I have just returned home from my week in Beijing and want to thank you, Paul Song and your wonderful team for looking after me so well doing my stay in Beijing. It was an awesome stay and I managed to do all the things I wanted to do and that included the long walk on the Great Wall, which although a challenge was with the help of your guides great. I managed the 4.5 hours and enjoyed almost every minute, sure a cable car and the walk off the wall through the country side did help, but the whole day with perfect weather and a great team will remain one of my most treasured memories.
I will certainly be recommending you to my friends and will write a bit about the trip on several websites.
I am also sure I will come back to Beijing sometime in the future. As I have told Paul, next time I would like to come to your office and met you both.
Thank you and your team.
Sincerely,
Penny
Penny Eames
Waikanae
New Zealand
Simatai Great Wall Key Words:
Features: ruined, precipitous, original, preserved
Hiking Area: east section 12 towers, west section 12 towers
Hiking Time: 2 - 3 hours for each section
Hiking Level: intermediate
Cable car: available
Distance: 140km from the downtown Beijing
After simple breakfast, we take a short break before we start our final trek on our 5-day Great Wall hike tour. Our last hike for this morning is focused on the east section of the Simatai Great Wall - 12 towers. Actually there are totally 16 watch towers distributed on the Simatai Great Wall snaking the ridge of the steep mountain. The 13th-16th towers are forbidden to hike due to their steepness and treacherousness. If you don't have strong legs, you may take the cable car up to an open place close to the 8th tower ( White Cloud Tower ), then climb up or climb down the Great Wall, or again you may choose to take the cable car back to the ground. For most Simatai Great Wall lovers, people prefer to hike up the Great Wall, then take the cable car down.
Panoramic view of the east section of the Simtai Great Wall
Yesterday when we hiked to the end of the west section of the Simatai Great Wall from the Jinshanling Great Wall, we found a good spot for taking a panoramic picture of the east section of the Simatai Great Wall as below:
No.01 Tower
The Mandarin Duck Lake cuts the Simatai Great Wall into two parts - east part and west part. The two parts are linked by a suspension bridge. Yesterday we walked across the suspension bridge from the west Simatai to the first tower and the second tower of the east Simatai Great Wall.
Yesterady we hiked through the second tower of the east Simatai, then walked to our lodging hotel - Great Wall Hotel. So today, again we have to walk back to the entrance to the Great Wall at the second tower. The walk from our hotel or from the main gate to the Simatai Great Wall Scenic Area takes about 30 minutes, a little bit challenging too.
No.02 Tower
Today we start with the second watch tower. The second tower is quite ruined and uncleared. Yesterday we hiked from the first tower to the second tower and the steps are very steep.
No.03 Tower
Hiking from the second tower to the third tower, you have to climb quite a number of steps too. From the third tower, you can have a clear view of the west section of the Simatai Great Wall. So don't always focus on your hike up, look back or around at any moment to enjoy the extremely beautiful scene radiating from the Great Wall.
No.04 Tower
Take a rest at the third tower and continue your hike to the fourth.
No.05 Tower
From the fourth tower to the fifth tower, you need to walk along the ruined wall. Take care!
No.06 and No.07 Towers
Well, relax and go on your hike to the sixth and seventh towers! Mind your steps!
No.07 Tower
Taking a rest before beating the seventh tower.
I stand on the roof of the seventh tower. Behind me is the bird's eye view of the west section of the Simatai Great Wall.
No.08 Tower ( White Cloud Tower )
This is the eighth tower - White Cloud Tower. You may find a big hole on the tower. It is said the hole was made by the Japanese invaders during the second world war when they bombed the Great Wall.
If you take the cable car up to the Great Wall, the eighth tower is your first tower you will see. When reaching the eighth tower and feel tired, you may walk from the eighth tower down to the cableway station and the take the cable car down. Of course, we suggest you go on with your hike till the 12th tower.
No.09 Tower
The victory is in sight!
No.10 and No.11 Towers
The tenth tower is quite close to the ninth tower. The steps and the road linking the three towers ( No.9, No.10, No.11 ) are very much smooth. So the walk is quite easy.
No.12 Tower ( the last tower permissible )
The part of the road leading to the 12th tower is missing or uncleared, we have to climb the rocks. Take care!
"Rainbow after the downpour!" We are happily marching towards to our final tower on our 5-day Great Wall hike tour. The victory is really in sight now!
Oriental Terrace
Hike ahead! To the east of the 12th tower, there is a terrace called " Oriental Terrace". It is the east tip of the east section of the Simatai Great Wall. You have to stop here. If you go ahead, you will have life risk due to the treacherous steps! It is said that once three university students fell off the cliff and died when they ignored the official warning hiking the wild and uncleared section of the Great Wall. We find a warning signboard to the effect that"If you hike ahead, you will be fined RMB 200!".
I pose before the forbidden area - the most treacherous section the of the Simatai Great Wall.
A close look at the hike-forbidden section of the Simatai Great Wall.
Back to the eighth tower ( white cloud tower )
You are not a hero till you climb up the Great Wall. We are heros now! Back to the eighth tower, we take a rest and have a final look at the fantastic Simatai Great Wall. By the tower, there is a stand selling two kinds of certficates manifesting that you have climbed up the Simatai Great Wall. One certificate looks like a gold medal; the other is a marble certificate. They can have your names carved on the certificates. Our British couple are happy to buy both of the certificates as interesting souvenirs to perfect their 5-day Beijing Great Wall hike tour.
Walk from the eighth tower to the cableway station
We walk about 15 minutes from the eighth tower to the cableway station on the slope of the mountain. The cable car is set for two persons, a romantic design. It is smooth and comfortable. The cable car sliding down gives you a changing angle to enjoy the mountain scene.
Having a farmhouse lunch and back to the downtown Beijing
We have luch at a farmhouse near the Simatai Great Wall. The couple are excited to see more of Beijing, an experience for them.
We are back to Beijing with lingering memory of the magnificent Great Wall. Hate to say bye to the Great Wall, hope someday return here to be immersed in the beauty again. Life is so beautiful.
Remark: Well organized, uniformally dressed, thirty-some local farmers, or the local hawkers you may call them, keep an eye on each individual tourist and follow them from the beginning to the end everyday! They make a living by being a little useful for you during your hike in the hope that you will at last buy some their tourist books or souvenirs. Don't be frustrated by these dutiful farmers. To pay a little to know more about local life is not a bad thing. Enjoy your trip!
