Hin's 2nd C.O.U.N.T. 1,000,000 steps (Sep 3rd – 26th, 2010)

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6. Lost & Found

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>   Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 7:05 PM

Hi,

Thanks to all for your words of support, encouragement and well wishes, via email, sms, and calls (sorry, I know a couple of calls - please do try again).

Was lost for a few hours last night in the mountains and eventually with the help of a villager, found my guide with his stalled jeep. See below Sep17.
 

18/09/10. 06:30 – 11:45. Started from 37 17 51.79N 108 38 32.4E (near Peach Lishan) – Zhangtiancicun. Decided to stop and hitch a ride back to Xinchengxiang, called it a day and made for Jingbian. Was on the wrong side of the river and couldn’t reach the wall. (10km).

Sep18: Got into Jingbian this afternoon after numerous jeep stalls. It was a miserable day, cold, misty, drizzling and started with completely mud caked and wet shoes after crossing a river. Upon crossing, the mountains were so misty, couldn't make out where the Great Wall was. Went round a few mountains and the best advice from a villager was to walk out to the main road.

It rained hard and become extremely dangerous to climb the clay covered slopes. Furthermore, the jeep wouldn't start this morning (tricky electrical problems started last night - he mentions that this has happened on every last 3 Fridays since - black Friday?). I took the decision to stop for the rest of the day after just 18,308 steps, thumb a lift from a passing car into "town" - most kind, most grateful - no charge! The jeep managed to come to life and we headed for Jingbian, where I took the opportunity to clean my Gobi-stained shirts and pants, my mud-caked shoes and everything else.

Decided to skip section between Pts 15 & 16, and continue on from Jingbian tomorrow - hoping for better day.

To date, walked 674,641 steps (about 357.6km) - 1 day behind schedule and hope to make up with better days ahead.
 

17/09/10. 07:15 – 21:00.  Road @37 18 13.35N 108 33 17.76E – 37 18 35.65N 108 38 51.67E (Haojie).

Trekked slowly about 1.5km down to the beautiful tower overhanging the Hungliuhe Dam (by Yaxiang Alley) and back to the road to resume my walk along the wall. Crossed the Xiwan Dam, reached the wall drop at Yantai (37 18 37.99N 108 40 17.92E). (28.8km).

Sep17: This was a good day, which ended anxiously. Followed the Great Wall over 6 mountains, and 1 stream, max elevation of 1,746m with total ascent of 1332m. Walked from 07:18 - 19:20 hrs and managed 54.329 steps (28.8km). It was equally tough as I had to carry a spare pair of shoes, and picked up a big Ming Great Wall brick and tile along the way (not a fair exchange for a few T-shirts). Luckily the Timberland shoes held (not by the duct tape) with laces tied over the soles.

Plan was to end the day at the top of the mountain with a huge tower and where the Great Wall plunged 35m to a huge canyon with a running river. The jeep couldn't come to the top, so had to walk back down and missed it by a mere 600m (per the GPS tracker), as we were separated by the looming Great wall - I was in China, and he was in Mongolia. Well, the wall did its job and I wandered for hours and at 9pm stumbled into a farmer's (Mr. Zhin) house, and together managed to locate my guide with his stalled jeep. It was decided that he stays with the jeep till morn and I was to go over to Zhin's for noodles and the night. After dinner, a pee outside to the angry bark of the house dog, I was ready to turn in for the night, when suddenly at 10:10pm, we heard the sound of car horns. As it turned out, the jeep had re-started. Mr Zhin took me on his bike and I then hopped onto the jeep to XinChengXiang "town". What a treacherous ride out of the mountain lanes (it was raining, slippery and had to spade fill a couple of ditches to cross). It was 11:15pm when we checked into a RM15! room - imagine - small "hotel" for passing lorry drivers, with 1 tap outside for cleaning.

The sections between Ambian and XinChengXiang (Pts 11-15) are really magnificent, with beautiful high walls and towers, and breath-taking panoramic mountains views. My most difficult hike thus far and warning - do not "walk" with a young German horse who chooses the most dangerous inclines, goes sliding down slopes and runs along the Great Wall. He had costumed made leather climbing boots and climbing sticks. I merely had Timberland walking shoes and Coleman walking sticks. I came to walk, he came to climb! It's a wonder this old horse managed to keep up.

Hopefully, I can get to Yulin in 5 days and decide whether to continue on to Shenmu. Looks unlikely to make the Sep27 "Everyone can fly Xtra long" flight from Tianjin.

All the best and shall write again at Yulin.

regards,
Hin

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