Hin's 1st C.O.U.N.T. 1,000,000 steps (Sep 7th – 29th, 2009)

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6. My message to the family

 

My 1,000,000 steps Great Wall of China. (Gansu, Ningxia Provinces)

 

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>  Sat, Sep 5, 2009 at 10:16 PM

to Amy

 

Hi,

 

Landed around 7pm this evening. Taxi took >1 hour to get to the hotel and taken for a quick bite by the guide with his wife.

 

Straight into discussion of the trip and missed calling back. Shall call tomo.

 

Weather fine with a slight drizzle. Tempearture cooling.

 

Take care.

 

Love all.

 

 

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com   Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 9:59 PM

to Amy, Adrian, Andrew

 

Hi folks,

 

Thought I keep all posted on my progress.

 

My C.O.U.N.T (Compassion, Optimism, Unity, Nature, Tomorrow) intended route (tracks):-

 

Jiayuguan:         14.3km,(1 day)

Jiuquan:           123.0km, (4 days)

Gaotai:              28.4km, (1 day)
Shandan:         137.0km, (4 days)

Hexibao:            66,9km, (2 days)
Wuwei:             202.0km, (8 days) 
Zhongwei:          30,3km, (1 day)
Sanguankou:      55,5km, (2 days)

 

I plan to take 1 day's rest after each 6 days.

 

Aug31, cropped my hair crew....the barber was apprehensive and kept asking whether I was sure. It's so that I won't need to bother with shampoo for the journey.

 

Had your mum's holy paraphernalia’s for protection, as well as King Scout Andrew's to guard my manhood.

  

Sep5, flew from Shenzen to Lanzhou (3 hours) and took 1hour taxi ride to the town, had a quick meal with Chen Huai (the guide) and his wife and after a quick brief, retired for the night.

 

Sep7, bought 2 train tickets to Jiayuguan and awaited my "walking" companion, Kin to arrive in the evening. Was then told that the tickets I bought would be incredibly uncomfortable. With Chen Huai, after lunch, went to the station to see whether we could find anyone returning sleeping berths tickets but no luck. After dinner, went early to the station and managed to snap up 1 sleeping berth ticket. I was left with the sitting ticket for the 7.5 hours overnight journey. Boarded the train and after a couple of pleas with the guard captain, managed to find 2 tickets in a 4-berth coach - was much more comfortable.

 

Day 1 - After a short rest, breakfast, we decide to do the Jiayuguan track. Started very well with the taxi's help to Ti Yi Dun and were stumped at 39 47.116'N 098 12.647'E where the track cross the rail track/fence. There is a small monsoon drain across but it means crawling on your knees. We chose to climb over the rail fence and lucky on the other side, there was an opening to allow us down a series of steps to the ground. We then resume our walk to the fort, took the NW turn round the fort, found ourselves outside and ended in some villages and couldn't find the track to Xuanbi. Went back to the fort but still couldn't find track, decided to take taxi to suspending wall and resume from there, and finished at Xuanbi. (So, missed about 5.5KM of the track?)

 

Kin indicated that the walk is too much for him and may decide not to take further long walks.

  

Weather was wet and fairly cold, ground soft and muddy in certain areas.

 

Day2, (without Kin) with the help of the local taxi driver found the start, indicated by a small white sign, saying "Long Wall". Had to round a factory, walk thru a "mining" area for about 1.5Km before resuming on the wall. Finished at Yemawan village at around 2pm. Requested the taxi driver to take me back to Xuanbi so that I can backtrack to Jiayuguan. Began to trust the GPS track and now understand why we missed it on the 1st day. The "Great Wall" is now no more than a monsoon drainage levee. That's was why we didn't follow the track, expecting to find a "Great Wall" which wasn't there. Didn't trust the GPS tracker enough then.

 

Day3, Juiguan2 start point at Xincheng Zhen was difficult to find, it being right in the middle of the field. Found it eventually and the track was muddy, wet, and each step's effort is equivalent to 2, as the step sinks in about 5cm each time. Completed the track close to about 5pm.

 

Day4 (Juiguan3 - 1st leg) ended up at Shiquanzi (next to factory) and was picked up by Chen Huai and Kin. Not much wall, only remnants of molehills and a new road has taken over the wall towards Shiquanzi. Fairly good hike, ground firmer and completed at about 4pm. Chen Huai and I had a challenging time finding the start of the track yesterday, and as it turns out, had a wonderful view of the village red chillies scene. What a novel and "exploitive" way to get the school children participating in a chilly stalks removing contest.

Day5 Juiguan3 (2nd part) took me 9.5 hours and started noticing the sentry towers, I think there were 3 towers before the resumption point at Shiquanzi and noted down another 8/9. Again GPS coordinates were recorded. It was a day of "walking on the beach", with very strong head wind for more than half of the start. Towards the end, rain came and made the end point very soggy.

 

Day6 Gaotai was tough walking thru the sand desert. I started at the "END" track point because we stayed at Gaotai the night before. Took me a good 10.5 hours, came across 8 "Fong For" (Wind-fire or smoke) sentry towers, Kin joined me on the 2 KM to the "START". Saw many sections covered by sand dunes. Stayed the night at Zhangye.

 

As of Sep12, completed 6 days of walking covering 148.9KM, managed 228,950 steps thus far. Gaotai's stretch was tough going thru the desert, up and down the sand dunes, with many portions of the wall covered by sand. Took a good 10.5 hours of trekking with just 30 mins for lunch/rest. Blisters forming and had a good rub down and "leg wash" last night.

 

Sunday Sep13, rested at my good guide/friend's place in Shandan just beside the wall.

 

Thank my luck stars, without the GPS tracker and the mapped out track, I would have been lost countless times. A lot of the walls have disappeared, some gobbled up by farms, some become factories, some were now levees for irrigation canals. Some beautifully intact walls, snaking up the mountains, and remnants of forts and sentry posts.

 

Started the Shandan (137KM) stretch yesterday (Sep14) - hoping to complete in 4 days or less.

 

Day 7: Started from DongLe early and finished at Shandan town, spent the night at the hotel there. Walked 12 hours covering 34KM.

 

Day 8; Resumed from Shandan stop at 6:50am and reached Chen Huai's place at 15:30 covering a distance of 28 KM. The wall snake thru farm fields, villages, factories, open waste land. It was tough locating the walls, as it become parts of the villagers' houses, factory walls, and fields. The stench of faeces and factory smog was absolutely unbearable. As I walk along a stretch of the wall, saw a man just down his pants and deposited his load - disgusting.

 

The Shandan stretch has the most intact wall thus far with many "smoke" sentry towers and forts. This must be a very important post against the invading Mongols.

 

Tomorrow has to cover more and it's going to be extremely tough going up and down the mountains. I hope my left back heels hold, as I felt it being stretched today.

 

Thus far, it's has been absolutely marvellous. Thanks to Andreas's GPS "tracks" otherwise, I would have been lost countless countless times. Chen Huai has been wonderful, enthusiastic and dedicated and can't thank him enough for the use of his Jeep, where we only pay for the petrol besides his daily rate. I'm telling you, without Chen Huai, there is no way I could have found the "start" and "end" point of each daily walk.

 

Take care and all my love.

Dad

 

PS. Should you have the chance to look at Google Earth Live, you might be able to see the lone me walking the Great Wall. Look out for my black Rayban cap, dark Italy design sun glasses, green NAFNAF sweater, either Red/Yellow 1,000,000 steps or orange Borobudur T-shirt, Timberland hiking trousers and boots, and only Andrew would know what underwear I don.

 

 

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>   Sun, Sep 20, 2009 at 9:33 PM

to Amy, Adrian, Andrew

 

Hi there,

 

Am surprised, I'm not getting any response esp. from my sons?

 

Well, managed to complete another 6 days of hiking (Shandan and Hexibao). It was gruelling, averaging 11.5hrs hike covering 35Km/day. The 4th day was really tough, as had to cover 4km and only ended at about 8pm when it was pitch dark, only to find the last 50m of the wall had collapsed into the reservoir. Equally tough on 6th day, when it was raining, cold with a strong wind. Had a hard time trying to find the wall for long stretches, going thru fields of sunflowers, maize, water melons etc.

 

Today is rest day and am in JingTai, where we visited YongTaiZhen, one of the biggest fort along the wall. And witness an exhilarating experience of watching the villagers waiting for their returning herds of sheep. goats, horses, cows against the setting sun.

 

Tomorrow shall resume my Wuwei track to the HuangHer (Yellow River) and then to Zhongwei before heading back to complete the Wuwei track. It's to make for easier road travelling.

 

Thus far, has walked 355.9km, taken 654,848 steps (total of 668,225 - for walking to/fro to the start/end points). Right on target to complete 1,000,000 steps (shall skip the Sanguankou track).

Well, everything is still holding well, esp. the left heel and the right knee. Looking forward to complete the 1,000,000 steps.

 

Take care. Be good.

 

Love to all.

Dad.

 

 

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>   Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 9:11

to Amy, Adrian, Andrew

 

FYI, hopefully this makes sense.

 
Hi all,
 
Did I say that Shandan is a very strategic and important area in halting the Mongol invasion? I counted as many as 52 sentry towers, 18 forts, 3 fortresses. You wld have thought that the Shandan moutain ange would have discourage the attacks. And as added "bonus", there re 2 walls - the old mostt intact Ming, and the even older Han wall. Furthermore, Hexibao stretch has numerous fortressess (too many) spread a vast area that I couldn't keep count.

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Today, started my Wuwei track, managed 32KM and shall save the last 21KM to the HuangHer (Yellow River) for the last walk, after which I shall take a dip.

Take care.

 

Love,

Dad

 

 

Adrian Ooi <xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.com>   Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 8:48 AM

 

congrats on nearly reaching ur goal. don't push urself too hard and i am proud of u regardless of whether u reach a 1000000 steps

 

 

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>   Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 10:45 AM

to Adrian, Amy, Andrew

 

Thanks Son,

 

Shall try to complete the 1,000.000 steps.

 

Last night was a bit of a bother. Had planned to walk till 7:30pm but by 7:00pm it became obvious that darkness was to befell. Had to stop (short of 2.5KM to end of Zhongwei track) and quickly scramble to find a main road. It was total darkness by 7:20pm and was still on the GWC, could only make out shadows of trees. Had to put on my emergency headlight and tried to find a way thru. Went over a fence, and suddenly heard voices of children and started heading towards that direction. Went round the trees, which were blocked by twigs and thorns and eventually found a path. Had to scramble thru a few more hedges and eventually ended up in the tomatoes field and made my way to the nearest house.

 

The young tried to tell me the name of the place but couldn't make out exactly where it was, neither could my guide over the phone. Pointed towards the main highway and started to walk in the dark and took another 45 minutes of so before I found the toll gate where the guide was waiting. My good fortune that I didn't have to sleep on the GWC. What a harrowing experience.

 

The thing was. I started late to try to complete the 31.3 KM walk, the right last toe blister broke and was painful till about 3pm in the walk - was going very slow. Shall try to complete the last 2.5KM next.

 

Take care.

 

Rgds,

Dad

 

 

Andrew Ooi <xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.com>   Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 5:27 PM

 

I'm really proud of you too dad. i hope you achieve your goal and bring back lots of memories. its really something i'll be able to tell my friends about. and being able to do that extraordinary feat at 55 is an amazing achievement. i hope you wont give up and achieve your goal.

Love,
Andrew

 

 

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>   Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 9:46 PM

to Andrew, Amy, Adrian

 

Thanks son,

 

Just completed 1,000,000 steps today. Shall be doing the last section of the Wuwei track to the Yellow River tommorow and that shall be all for this roind.

 

Shall update later.

 

Love,

Dad

 

 

Andrew Ooi <xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.com>   Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 5:33 PM

 

Good job. You're finally done?

 

 

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>   Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 10:13 AM

to Andrew, bcc: Amy, bcc: Adrian

 

Yes, this trip is over........perhaps another 1,000,000 steps next year.....

 

Thanks and see you on Saturday night.

 

Love.

Dad

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