Mercury reporter Gemma Peplow is walking the Great Wall of China to raise cash for Leicestershire hospice LOROS.
Daily Updates
11/05/2010 – Day 1
An almost problem-free journey – just the one small incident at Heathrow when I forgot I'd packed dozens of energy gels in my hand luggage, which didn't go down too well with security. We arrived in China on Sunday and completed our first day of trekking yesterday.
It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. We're in the Huangyaguan region at the minute – lots of steps, undulating hills and some pretty narrow ridges. I don't think any amount of gym sessions and walks up to Old John could have fully prepared me for this. Originally built in 557AD, the Huangyaguan section of the wall is all flagstone steps and high watch towers, offering stunning views across the mountains. It was a hard slog but well worth it and there's such a sense of achievement at the end of the day. Only five more days to go now. My boots and socks have served me well today. No blisters so far but I have a feeling the legs will be aching in the morning.
After our first day of trekking was completed, it was time to relax and enjoy a Chinese feast and a bonfire before heading back to our hotel for a good night's sleep. Bring on tomorrow.
12/11/2010 – Day 2
Woke up today to glorious sunshine and blue skies, which made for lovely photos but a tough day's trekking.We were told this would be the hardest day with lots of steps followed by an afternoon hiking up and down the mountains. By the time we'd climbed the first section, a restored part of the wall with hundreds of flagstone steps and then Heaven's Ladder, a steep climb of more than 200 steps cut into the mountain-side, I've already polished off four bottles of water and I'm starting to wonder how I'll carry on.
After taking in the views across the mountains while eating lunch, it's more upward climbing to join the top of the right, where the path winds around sections of the old wall. This is a lot easier physically, although it's pretty terrifying in places. I never knew when I signed up for this I'd be walking across ridges no more than 2ft wide with 800m drops either side. It was a case of 'don't look down' in some parts and there were a few wobbly moments but I made it.
The afternoon saw our group descending down the other side of the mountain which is where my trekking poles were a Godsend. After more than seven hours of trekking, our day ended in Mountain Village, where we're staying in family houses, getting to see what life is like for the residents.
13/05/2010 – Day 3
After yesterday's trek over the Yanshan mountains, my legs are beginning to feel a little sore. It's nothing a few stretches and a hearty breakfast can't fix though. I have to say, I'd been a little disappointed with the food so far (almost exactly the same as your local takeaway) but the homemade dishes made by our hosts in the Mountain Village have been amazing. This morning we tuck into traditional Chinese pancakes with scrambled eggs and noddles, as well as rice porridge. I ate far too much, which didn't make for a good start.
Still, we'd been promised today would be a little easier than yesterday. Which it is. Sort of. Like yesterday, it is pretty terrifying in parts but when we arrive at our destination – the Three Bordering Tablet at the top of the mountain, the area where three provinces Heibei, Tianjian City and Beijing, meet – the views make it all worthwhile.
We then make our descent back down to the village. The afternoon is a bit of a doddle in comparison, a two-hour walk along a roadside so we can catch a bus to our next destination, Jinshanling."
14/05/2010 – Day 4
Just finished a really tiring day, eight hours of trekking up and down the Great Wall. Exhausted doesn't quite cover it. We start the day at the Gubeikou section and there are no big sets of steps today, which is nice. Just a windy dirt path up to the wall at the top of the mountains. We make our way slowly but surely along the wall through Jinshanling area.
We're high up on the wall but it's fairly wide, so okay once you get used to forgetting the drop either side of you. The views from the watch-towers at the top of each section are absolutely stunning — dozens of green mountains with the wall snaking for miles down the spine of each one. The cameras are out every five minutes but I'll be surprised if any of the pictures really do it justice.
After lunch, we follow a rocky path down the mountain to avoid army barracks at the top but then it's another climb up to the wall again. If this doesn't get me fit, nothing will.
Back at the wall, we face a ledge at the bottom (the wall is too high to climb here), which our group leader has warned us about a few times. It sticks out the bottom of the wall over one of those drops I may have mentioned once or twice. Surprisingly, I manage this bit quite well, even managing to get in a few action shots.
It's the downhill sections of the wall that get me. Some parts have managed to retain their high sides and steps but others have eroded, meaning you have to edge your way down the crumbly rock path in the middle with nothing to hold on to. But with camaraderie high in our group, we all manage to get each other through it.
Now, after arriving back at our hotel, it's time for dinner – Chinese again, I suspect – and a few well-deserved beers before an early night.
15/05/2010 – Day 5
Woke up to slightly grey skies and the signs of my first blister this morning, but it's nothing a few plasters won't fix.
Today's walk starts where we ended yesterday, in Jinshanling, and it's a mainly restored wall which means a real luxury – sides. We're trekking east, heading to Simatai, and the wall can be seen for miles. Every now and then you find yourself wondering how on earth the Chinese people managed to build it all those years ago – it's difficult enough walking along it.
After three hours, it's time for lunch. We shelter in one of the many watchtowers, devour our food and enjoy the view.
It's a nice stretch of wall in the afternoon, mainly downhill. There's a refreshing breeze which is very welcome after four days of trekking with the sun beating down. We reach a wooden suspension bridge over Crystal Lake – very Indiana Jones.
From here, there's a climb back up to something I've been a bit worried about – a zip wire from 400m up the mountain, over the lake to a boat which is waiting for us on the other side. It's either take the wire, or face a further 30-minute trek back down. It takes about 10 minutes of encouragement from my sister Nicki and group members before my harness is on, and I am petrified. But as soon as we are flying across the lake, the fear is gone and the adrenaline rush kicks in.
It's over all too quickly and it's time for the bus journey to our final trekking destination, Mutianyu.
Tomorrow is our last day before we head back to Beijing and although the foot massage we've been promised when we get there is very appealing, I'm going to be really sad to leave the wall behind.
16/05/2010 – Day 6
After a downpour in the night, our final day of trekking takes place underneath a hazy sky. It's sticky and humid as we start our two-hour hike to the top of the mountains in Mutianyu, and this is before we even get to the wall. The first half is all road, not as easy as it sounds. The combination of humidity, the steep incline and the fatigue after days of trekking makes it one of the hardest sections yet.
The second half is a dirt track. We've not been let off lightly because it's the last day. The section we join is known to be one of the most beautiful parts in the Beijing province but it's also very touristy and, after days of having the wall to ourselves, it feels almost like the day trippers (who all look immaculate while we're worn out and covered in dirt and scratches) are intruding. I pick up my first war wound, twisting my ankle and falling in one of the watch towers.
As we arrive at our final tower, a fizzing sound can be heard and we're suddenly showered with Champagne. It's a nice touch from our group leaders and a fitting way to celebrate our achievement, and it's gulped down in no time. After all that hard work getting to the wall, there's an easy way down the mountain – a toboggan run.
There's a real feeling of euphoria as we all whoosh down. Back on our bus, I'm looking forward to getting our boots off and a hot shower in Beijing. We have a day to explore this beautiful country's capital before we travel home.
I'm now flying back to the UK – worn out but bringing back hundreds of photos, a few souvenirs, about 30 new friends and memories that will last me a lifetime. When we first started our trek we walked past a sign that translated as "you are not a true hero unless you have been to the Great Wall".
I'm not sure hero is the right, word but I do feel really proud of our achievement.
20/05/2010 - Reflections
After their months of fundraising, reporter Gemma Peplow and sister Nicki’s great wall trek for our LOROS Appeal is over. Here is Gemma’s account
Well, we've finally done it and I've got the T-shirt (and a medal) to prove it. The six-day trek along the mighty Great Wall was the toughest, most challenging feat of my life – by a long way, believe me – but also the most amazing experience, one that has left me with a great sense of pride.
So far, thanks to the generosity of friends, family and Mercury readers, we have collected almost £7,000 in sponsorship for our LOROS appeal. It's a massive amount and it means our campaign has now raised almost £234,000 towards the hospice's Willow Wing extension.
While it was fantastic to be in charge of the campaign, after completing the trek I now really feel like I have done my bit, suffering the blisters, aching legs and unappetising packed lunches, all in the name of charidee.
If you followed my daily updates last week, you'll already know a bit about our time in China but, as you can probably tell from this small selection of my 500-plus photos, it's a trip I could talk about for quite a while.
Our challenge was arranged by Skyline, a company that specialises in such overseas treks, and we had about 35 in our group, all raising money for various worthy causes. Team leaders Emma, Huw, doctor Mark and Chinese guides Kevin and Sherry were there to help every step of the way, guiding us along the steep paths, carrying extra water for those who ran out, cheering us on in a particularly tough section and generally keeping our spirits lifted when we all felt ready to collapse.
We completed different sections, from the tough, rocky terrain of the Yanshan mountains, where the wall is little more than piles of rubble in parts, to the fully restored section in Mutianyu, a favourite with tourists on day trips.
Our first glimpse of the Great Wall was the Huangyaguan Pass, which was created during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550AD to 557AD). Standing at the bottom, it was a pretty awesome sight to see the wall towering above us and snaking off along the mountain ridge into the horizon.
Whether we were trekking atop the restored wall or on a crumbling path alongside it, this endless ribbon of stone is a recurring view throughout the trip, but it never fails to take your breath away. Each section brings its own challenges. The restored parts might sound easier but don't be fooled – the endless steps following the undulating mountainsides really take it out of you. The rural areas require more concentration, with slippy dirt paths to inch down and narrow ridges 800m high. In some areas, the wall is so steep you're almost climbing a ladder of jutting bricks. Every time you reach a rest point, usually a watch tower, you look back at the miles covered in amazement.
It's an achievement trekking this thing, but how it was built in the first place is something we all contemplate on more than one occasion. We trek for about six or seven hours on average each day, in temperatures reaching the mid-20s Celsius and not much opportunity to find shade.
Our packed lunches consist of little more than a soggy salad sandwich, a boiled egg and a banana, but energy bars and the encouragement from fellow trekkers keeps you going. Also – and I know this is a cliché but it's so true – the thought of what you are doing it for and the people who have donated so generously is more than enough to provide inspiration to carry on when you're feeling tired.
I was never expecting the trek to be easy and it wasn't, but I loved every minute of it.
I arrived back at Mercury headquarters yesterday, feeling a little lonely after being surrounded by my fellow trekkers for more than a week. I've made some really good friends – Jason and Mark who were always there to make us laugh during the hard parts; Alison and Sue who were also raising money for LOROS; Gillian, whom we hit it off with from day one at the airport; Nicola and her friend Hayley, who overcame a serious fear of heights to complete the trek; Eirian, who was just lovely, and Tony, who, despite not finding it easy himself, was always there to reassure you during the scary, high-up sections.
I can't name everyone but we all got on so well and raised more than £100,000 for our charities between us. Not bad, is it?
After a three-and-a-half hour flight from Beijing to Hong Kong, a 12-hour delay there due to the volcanic ash cloud and then a 12-hour flight back to Heathrow, I wasn't looking forward to my first day back at work yesterday. But awaiting me on my desk was a cheque for £200 from a reader, an unbelievably generous donation which brought home again what this has all been about.
Nicki and I might have trekked the Great Wall but, tough as it was, it's the generosity of people such as this that has really made a difference.
I've visited LOROS several times in the six months since we launched our campaign and I know, as do thousands of people across Leicestershire and Rutland, what a vital service the hospice provides. So I want to say a massive thank you once again to everyone who has sponsored us.
To sponsor Gemma and Nicki, send a cheque, made payable to LOROS, to Gemma Peplow, LOROS China Trek, Leicester Mercury, St George Street, Leicester LE1 9FQ.
You can donate online at: http://www.justgiving.com/gemmapeplowLOROS