DAY 1 warm up day, this was a 'gentle' stroll to prepare us for the days ahead!!!

A gentle 4 hour stroll to stretch our legs and muscles. We started at the bottom of the valley and walk up a road for an hour or so to the start of the wall (the group picture at the monument). The start of the wall was an uphill climb and the introduction to the dreaded steps and slopes that would be the bane of our lives for the next 5 days!

 

The views were stunning and across the valley on the opposite mountain was an inkling of what was in store the next day! After much up and down steps and slopes we finally headed down to the beautiful complex and a well earned drink and explore the grounds before dinner.
    Our rooms were basic but adequate and dinner was interesting!

 

WOW what an experience!

Gruelling! Exhausting! Amazing! Exhilarating! Painful!

but most of all Surreal!

Day one 

This was the starting point of the wall, we'd already climbed a very big hill to get to the start!

This is a gentle warm up apparently! We soon started to get an inkling of what may be ahead, this part of the wall has been restored but is still really hard work.

 

Thankfully there was a handrail on one side and a wall on the other as it was a sheer drop.

The view across the valley was a taste of what was to come the next day.

 

The steps varied from 2ft high in places to 2inches in others, some  beautifully restored others very rough and uneven.

This is just a taster I will add more every couple of days as there are rather a lot of photos to go through!!!

 

                                                                         

6 Days to go!! Where did the last 10 months go?

Well it hasn't been easy but it has been fun and hopefully Thursday's Auction night will be a great success and a good send off for me. 33 'Lots' as listed on the right and full details below of the event. Thank you for all the generous donations of 'Lots'.

Please come along and enjoy a great evening and wish me luck on my Great Wall adventure.

 

My next post will be when I return from China in just over 2 weeks time I will hopefully have lots of brilliant photos and maybe video too.

A BIG thank you for all your support and donations.

 

Well if I'm not ready now I never will be!!!