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Hi Guys   On the 30th April I will be trekking the Great Wall of China to raise funds for a very worth while cause.  I was diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes in 2006 and coupled with some other particularly stressful things that were going on in my life, made for a dark couple of years.  Depression isn’t the taboo subject it used to be years ago and a large part of the population now suffer in one form or another … the downside of our lifestyles these days.  In March last year I discovered Climb Your Mountain which without sounding too dramatic saved me and turned my life around. I am a much healthier person now (physically and mentally), and have made some real changes to my life and the way that I deal with things.  I have made some amazing friends, I am active and since last year I have climbed Snowdon twice and Ben Nevis, as well as completing various hikes in and around the UK.  It’s now time for me to take on a new challenge and so …. China, here I come!!!   CYM is a charity local to Milton Keynes which was established over 2 years ago to offer support, training, motivation, and help people who have their own personal mountain to climb - whether its low confidence, stress, anxiety, money/family worries, or depression - which most people experience at some point or another.   CYM believe that exercise and physical activity can have a real benefit for people in preventing, dealing with and overcoming these conditions - however big or small. They also motivate people to set themselves personal challenges in order to help them through those difficult times - these could be anything from running a 2k race, to climbing Mt Snowdon or trekking in the Peruvian Andes. For more information please visit <a href="http://www.climbyourmountain.org/">www.climbyourmountain.org</a>.   This is where you can help - by donating as much as you can to support the charity so that they can continue to support the people who need it. Any amount is very much appreciated!   Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now. Lastly, if you would like to take part in any fundraising activities either with me or directly for the charity, then I would love to hear from you!     THE CHALLENGE ITINERARY   Gubeikou, Jinshanling, Simatai Great Wall and Beijing   Day 1 Transfer to the Great Wall at Gubeikou, half-day walk, camp (3-4 hrs trekking) Board coach out of Beijing for 3 hour transfer to the Great Wall at Gubeikou.  We take a local trail to ascend to a spectacular section of the Great Wall on a high ridge which gives us great views towards the next few days of travel. Camp at Gubeikou.   Day 2 Trek and explore 1200-year-old Great Wall above Gubeikou (about 10kms steep terrain; 8-9 hrs trekking) From our campsite we climb to explore a spectacular section of wall above the Gubeikou valley. This is a little-visited section and offers rare views of a wild landscape. We climb to the junction of the Ming Dynasty wall and descend to a saddle where we pick up a local trail to return to camp.   Day 3 Trek from Gubeikou to Jinshanling (7-8 hours trekking) From Gubeikou we walk through Gubeikou Township to gain the old wall and make a slow ascent to gain undulating terrain. We walk in delightful rural country through to our host’s locality in Hebei Province where we camp   Day 4 Walk from Jinshanling on the Great Wall towards Simatai (7-8 hours trekking) Breaking camp in Hebei Province we climb on to the Great wall and begin a morning’s walk towards Simatai, passing through Jinshanling, a restored section. This section of the wall was built in the 15th century. We descend on a trail into Miyun county of Beijing to a campsite at the village of Daweihao.   Day 5 Transfer to Simatai, half-day walk below summit of Mt Simatai (4-5 hours trekking). We head off around 8am for a half-day climb below the summit of Mt Simatai, in a circuit that takes in two villages. There are stunning vistas of the hinterland.   Return to Beijing. Thank you for visiting my page and look out for pictures coming soon. Victoria

Victoria's Trek...Great Wall of China

Victoria's Trek...Great Wall of China

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