Hin's 3rd C.O.U.N.T 1,000,000 steps (Sep 19TH – Oct 12th 2011)

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10: Done and Great Taste of Hebei

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>  Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 10:44 PM

Hi Folks,

Yes today after 22 days of hiking/climbing, C.O.U.N.Ted 1,005,782 steps (553.18km) and this closes the chapter for this year.

Hebei (North of the river HuangHe), home of the "Peking man" who lived in this area 200,000 - 700,000 years ago, was fiercely fought over by many Dynasties (Yan & Jin - 722 to 476BC, Zhao - 403 to 221BC, Qin - 221BC, Han - 206BC to AD 220, Tang - 618 to 936, Song - 960 to 1127. etc.)

But what is most challenging is that the Great Wall runs through Taihang Shan and Yan Shan with the highest peak, Mt Xiaowutai at 2,882m in north-western Hebei, which greeted us when we entered Hebei from Shanxi.

Oct09: Day20. 07:01 -19:15. Roadside G6 (@ 40°44'4.82"N 114° 8'19.95"E) - Liangmin Ditchcun. Tortuous 32.3km, ascended 1,662m (highest day climbs for the whole trip).

This section was expected to be the most challenging and a lot of thoughts were put in to avoid any disaster. Once on top of the mountain, there are only a couple of exit points and we needed a full day's walk. We woke early and started. Using the toll highway, we thought we would get to the starting point by 6:30am but alas were quickly caught in a 40km "da zher" (big lorry) jam.

CH had to use all his driving skill to jump a ditch and broke onto the country road beside. In our haste, we got to the wrong wall's (there is at least 2 walls here - Qin and Ming) starting point and had to climb over 2 mountains to the intended point - we had lost 2 hours.

As we climb up the trail, we were eyed by a Steppe Herrier (rough-legged handsome raptor) telling us that we are now in his Mongolian grassland. Then there were the Alphine Choughs as well, signifying that we were on rocky mountains.

The Qin and Ming walls ran side by side and boy, were there rocks? It was a tough roller-coasting climb (up and down to almost every tower), made worse by the knee-high grass, shoulder to head high brambles and loose rocks and boulders. Progress for me, was extremely slow, bearing the constant thought that should a leg be broken, the only way down would be via a helicopter. This section's path is less taken and we had to fight through the thorny shrubs and long grass, mindful not to sprain an ankle over a rolled loose rock.

The reward was, of course, the sight of the untouched Hebei brick towers - tall, elegant, rectangular - some with rope hooks, spout for pouring hot oil onto attackers, chutes for cannon balls, and "eyes" (windows) for arrow shooters. Some even had doors with stairs to the top. There were a couple of round towers too, with doors but with only interlaced bricks laid with gaps as grips/gaps for hand and foot for a fit soldier to climb up.

The going was really, really tough and at 17:05 (the sun set at 17:45), we had another 3km to go to our intended exit point (upper dam of the Dongyanghe) and it became obvious that we would not make it before darkness.

We made the painful but right decision to descend the mountain before darkness engulfed us. We headed down a ridge reaching the valley after a couple of steep slopes. Next we followed it away from the mountain with the hope of reaching either a country lane or better still, a village. We found a lane after an hour, and luckily the full moon lit the lane and another hour later, reached Liangmin Ditchcun's village shop. The good keeper gave us drinks and arranged for a taxi to ferry us back to Huai'an. Meanwhile, CH was stuck in Mongolia and didn't make it back to the hotel. I'm so lucky to be with AL, alone I would have been stranded on the mountain top - what a scary moment.

Oct10. Rest day.

After the harrowing experience and straining walk, we took the day off and headed to Zhangjiakou to send AL by train to Beijing. I shall then resume my walk from Dajingmen the following day.

Oct11. Day21 07:30-18:07. Zhangjiakou – Badi.  25.85km, ascend 1,524m.

This was an equally difficult hike for the 1st 12km, similar loose rocks, tall grass, brambles and up and down climbs. Surprised by a couple of photographers and when they heard that I was from Malaysia, they excitedly took pictures of yours truly - why? I don’t know.

After, I came upon the Mongolian grassland and flatter ground and by 5pm, the sky darkens and had to descend the mountain to reach CH who was waiting at the village of Badi.

Oct12. 07:35-15:15. Badi – Dayawan. Hiked 19.1km, ascended 683m.

The last day's walk turned out easy, cool breeze, sunny 11oC, made even better by the soft silky Mongolian grass. Only a couple of large ravines to cross, where I slipped and tore both flanks of the butt trousers’ sides. Well this Timberland had served its purpose after 3,000,000 steps and has been disposed.

The fields have been cleared and the farmers were busy ploughing and preparing for winter. some with pair of bullocks, others with donkeys, still others with a horse and a donkey. Now, I realised and recalled the "Hee Haw" of the donkeys as I went by (must be my exposed butt!). I ended the walk at the outskirts of the village of Dayawan and we returned to Zhangjiakou for a well-deserved rest.
 

Total 558km. 1,014,545 steps.

I shall be off to Beijing for few days before returning to KL and normal life again. It's time for reflection and pondering on continuing the very challenging Hebei walk next year.

Thank you all for your interest and especially to those who wrote with encouragements, prayers and blessings.

Take good care and wish you all enough.........

Good night, see you soon.

Rgds,
Hin

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