All my illusions of a walk on the Great Wall of China just being a pleasurable stroll with no great physical strain or sweat involved were reduced to dust after just one step in the direction of the watch tower at the summit of the wall's Badaling section in Beijing.

Although I very well knew that this immense structure snakes along mountainous terrain up and down for thousands of kilometers, the image I had in my mind for some strange reason included no slopes. Well, I guess no one had stressed to me the fact that at some points, the wall rises, or descends, depending on which way you're walking, at extremely steep angles! So steep in fact, that at times I feared that, should my shoes slip, I would just slide all the way back to the starting point on my bum.

Luckily, it was a rainless day in April so the stone surface was not wet, otherwise my enterprise would have been doomed from the start. I personally cannot boast with being even in moderately good physical shape, and after this experience, I can warmly recommend that anyone planning to tackle the Great Wall on foot should first have a medical checkup. If you are pregnant or have heart problems, I would highly recommend skipping this one!

The Badaling section of the wall is the closest one to Beijing, situated about an hour's drive from the city center. Even the ride there is an adventure in itself, with tunnel passages and loads of trucks jamming up the highway. Once there, you can either choose to pay about 40 yuan and get in a cable car or a small train and whizz all the way up to the 880-meter peak, or do what I did, and just pay the 45 yuan admission and start putting one foot in front of the other.

Stream of thought

Keep your eyes on the tiles to keep from getting discouraged. (Image: Radio86)After only a few steps I could not help but wonder how on earth the builders of this unfathomably long construction had managed the feat. Transporting all the bricks and other equipment to the site and working under such difficult conditions in very treacherous and varying terrain must have put all the physical and mental capacities of the workers to the ultimate test. But the end result really is an awe-inspiring testament to human effort and perseverance!

In an attempt to fight my initial reaction to just give up and turn back, I decided to psyche myself into making the utmost effort to reach the top. One good tip against getting discouraged is to keep your eyes on the ground, and not look up ahead of you. This way you just see the stone tiles pass by quite quickly, making you think you're making fast progress. And do remember to wear comfortable slip resistant shoes!

About half-way up the trek I felt already quite anguished because there are virtually no resting places along the path. Just then, my Chinese friend told me that the sign in front of us said that those who reach the summit can call themselves heroes. After hearing that, my ego would not let me relent, so I pushed on and finally, after two hours of intense physical exertion, I could take pride in calling myself a true hero of the Great Wall!! I was so happy to reach the top that I actually for a moment considered buying myself one of the tacky fake gold medals sold there and having my name carved on it.

When you reach the 880-meter summit, you can reward yourself with a gold medal. (Image: Radio86)Taking about souvenirs, sure, there are some peddlers on the wall, but their number is quite limited. At one point along my trek, a man with a camera offered to take a picture of me in the middle of one of the greatest physical challenges I had ever faced. No thanks! Who wants to reminisce the pain and agony of that day from a picture showing you all sweaty and red-faced with disheveled hair, trying to force a grin?

Crowds of people were swarming at the end of the trek, on the 880-meter summit. For a second, I considered walking back down, but decided against it after I realized that my legs were wobbling like Jello. Lucky for me, the cable car was there, and so I braved another unnerving experience in the form of a vertiginous ride back down to level ground.

All in all, visiting the Great Wall was the fulfillment of one of my long-time dreams. Where else can you get such a profound sense of history and feel like you truly are in China! In addition, I got some really good exercise and the chance to enjoy the unparalleled scenery.

There aren't many resting places on the way to the top, but the view makes up for the effort. (Image: Radio86)Here are a few helpful tips for making the trip to the Great Wall more pleasurable:

- Rent a taxi for a day: about 60 euros will get you from Beijing to Badaling and back, and still leave you with plenty of time to ride around and see the sights in the capital.
- Arrive early in the day in order to avoid crowds and the heat of the blaring sun.
- Bring a bottle of water and some small snacks with you so you don't have to buy overpriced food at the site.
- Carry as little baggage as possible to minimize your burden.
- Wear comfortable clothes and non-slip shoes.
- Remember, if you feel tired at the top, taking the cable car back down will by no means be a discredit to your newly attained hero status!