27.10.10 Well its all over, arrived home at 10pm last night, what a fantastic experience! I will post an account of it all later, have put a few pics up in the meantime. Thanks to everyone for their sponsorship this really kept me going up all those steps.

The The Great Wall Charity Challenge

I'm back! What an amazing experience, I'll try to give you the edited highlights so you don't get bored but it’s difficult to pack 10 days into a few paragraphs so bear with me.
 
We set off from Heathrow on Sat 16th, the flight left at 20.30 arriving in Beijing 9hrs later at 1.30 pm on 17th (8hr time difference). We were met by our reps, Martin (Chinese), Jason (Chinese) and La La (Scottish - real name Lorraine!) who were with us for the next 10 days.  There were 21 of us on the challenge all supporting different charities, some like me with a personal motivation for their choice. Most people came with a friend but some were on their own, all but one completed the challenge.
 
Our accommodation each night was in a rural area usually close to our starting point on the Wall the following day. We were all a bit shocked at how basic the rooms were, actually basic isn't really such a problem, dirty and buggy is though. The showers (with copious hair left in the drain), toilets (you couldn't look), bedding (sometimes clearly slept in before) all left a lot to be desired in most of the places we stayed. And the bugs, each night required a bug search before we could even contemplate unpacking for the night and even then they seemed to be able to creep back into the room. One guy reported 50 bugs in his bed one night, GROSS! We stayed in this type of accommodation for 4 of the 5 nights we were trekking; in some ways overcoming our aversion to the rooms was trickier than the challenge itself.
 
We ate in the 'restaurants' associated with the 'hotels' we stayed in for breakfast and dinner and had either a packed lunch on the Wall or were taken to a local 'restaurant' to eat. The food was generally pretty good and plentiful. We had rice and noodles for breakfast, rice and a selection of Chinese dishes for lunch and rice and a selection of Chinese dishes for dinner. The 2 packed lunches we had were a welcome relief and included spam sandwiches boiled eggs and fruit. I don't think any of our group will be having another Chinese meal this side of Xmas if they can avoid it, although I'm pretty good with a pair of chopsticks now. We were given a choice of beer, Coke or Sprite with every meal, I never tried the Coke or Sprite but the beer was good (Tsingtao - I've never been known to drink beer before). It took a few nights to manage to get wine. The white was awful so we stuck to Great Wall red which was drinkable and certainly grew on us (I've never been known to drink red before and did suffer from the odd headache some mornings. I think the two could have been related). The Chinese didn't seem to understand drinking alcohol and whenever we asked for wine always asked whether we wanted it opened??
 
I have to make some comment on the toilet facilities as I think this is a lasting memory of China that we will all recount in our after dinner conversation for some time. Disgusting is an understatement. I have a strong stomach but the smell emanating from the toilet facilities was detectable from 20 paces outside. As we all became more experienced we dashed in armed with nose protection, wet wipes, tissues and anti bacterial gel (we must have used gallons) praying there was no queue. The Chinese seemed oblivious to the state of the toilets and had a very practical approach, the women basically loosened their clothing outside the toilet performed their business without closing the door and emerged half dressed to get themselves sorted before occasionally washing their hands. Quite a shock to us more reserved Brits! All the toilets were just holes in the floor requiring us to perfect our squatting technique whilst juggling the aforementioned items. If you have ever tried squatting over the loo covering your nose, keeping your garments out of the way whilst palming toilet tissue and anti bac gel you will know what a challenge it is. If you have never tried can I suggest this as a game you might like to try in the future (of course you would first have to find a squatting toilet and make it smell worse than you could ever imagine possible first).
 
Each day we were ferried in our luxury coach (it was luxury compared to our overnight accommodation, several of us would have preferred to spend the night there rather than our beds), the journeys varied between 1/2 and 2 hours. Our driver Mr Lau was expert at negotiating the narrow routes and really skilled at driving in Beijing which was a terrifying experience. The traffic in Beijing is horrendous and there are 9 million bicycles there, often with more than one passenger and sundries. There are also 9 million coaches, lorries, cars and pedestrians all vying for the same road space. If you are ever planning to go DON'T hire a car.
 
Our guides were excellent, spoke really good English and managed to teach us a bit of Chinese Ni Hao - Hello, pijiu - beer and how to show numbers using your fingers, sounds straightforward, but its not. Each night we had a briefing on what to expect the following day, where we would be walking and the local culture. We were warned about the 'Hello' people named because on one particular stretch of the wall they act like a tag team following their target around all day and at any opportunity saying 'Hello you want to buy a...' (anything from books to chopsticks) the novelty soon wore off and their persistence got quite irritating. Some of the group though took advantage of the offer to carry a rucksack for the day for 100 Yuan (about £10) which seemed good value for a 5 hour hike.
 
We had very variable weather and unfortunately the shorts on the kit list didn't see the light of day. The first day it snowed and the view from the final tower on the Wall was like a Xmas scene, it was very cold and the view below was obscured by a thick layer of cloud. The second day it rained which made the ground quite slippery, but the weather cleared as the day progressed, the third day was lovely cold but clear and we walked along some beautiful sections with great views of the changing colours of the autumn trees. The last two days were cold and cloudy so we didn't get to see as much as we would have liked of the undoubtedly spectacular views. I will never forget though the feat in constructing the Wall which is unimaginable without the use of modern technology. The sight of the Wall snaking along in front and behind you as you walk is an incredible sight and well worth suffering the indignities of the toilet and sleeping accommodation.
 
The Wall was spectacular and obviously the main reason for our journey. We spent 5 days walking on a mixture of renovated and un-renovated sections. The terrain was very variable, lots of steps which were very uneven in height and depth so you really needed to concentrate on where you were putting your feet. Sometimes the steps disappeared as they had crumbled away leaving rubble to climb up. We generally walked for about 5 hrs a day, it’s difficult to gauge the distance we covered but I think it was about 100 miles. On the un-renovated sections we needed a guide and would not have been allowed to use this route without one. The more touristy sections were renovated and the terrain was better although the challenge was not necessarily easier as all the sections we did had loads of steps and which seemed to be predominantly up rather than down. On the last day we climbed 700 steps up (that's 58 staircases) walked for an hour on the Wall and then ascended the final section which was another 300 steps. I am pleased to report that I climbed both these sections without stopping at all. When we reached the top of the final staircase called the Heavenly Steps it was such an emotional time. Several of the group, like me, had very personal reasons for doing the challenge to raise money for their chosen charity, but all of us were quite overcome with the feat and spectacle of walking the Great Wall spurred on by other members of the group and our sponsors as well as our chosen cause.
 
As well as the walking we did manage to get some tourist time in Beijing. We went to:
•    Jade factory - the skill of the craftsmen was incredible and some of their creations were magnificent. Of course there was the opportunity to buy items of jewellery and ornaments which many of the group took full advantage of.
•    Market - OMG this was a scary experience the place was crammed from floor to ceiling for 5 floors with goods for sale, all of which you were expected to barter for. As soon as you showed even the slightest interest in anything you were immediately pounced on and the item was produced in every shape, size and colour, talk about high pressured sales! I wasn't very good at the whole bartering thing and could feel my blood pressure rising from the stress of it all. Nevertheless we all came away with what we thought were bargains and were all comparing the prices we had paid on the coach on the way to the hotel.
•    Night food market - what a sight about half a mile of food stalls all selling freshly cooked things. I say things because some of the food items were unrecognisable without reading the label and then unbelievable, to give you some idea there were beetles, scorpions, star fish, sheep’s penises and much much more. Some of the group tried scorpions, not me though.
•    Foot massage - a very welcome treat after all the walking. We were collected from the hotel at 10pm and taken to the red light area where we were ushered into a massage parlour. It sounds really seedy but it wasn't at all like that, certainly in the section we saw anyway. I can't describe the massage as relaxing as it was more like a sports massage, but it was fantastic and we did feel like we were walking on air afterwards.
•    Tea ceremony - we tried lots of different teas, jasmine, oolong, ginseng served in traditional Chinese porcelain cups with all the associated ceremony of pouring, sniffing and tasting. Of course we were then able to purchase it all from the on site shop.
•    Tiananmen Square/Forbidden Palace - we were warned before we arrived that we would be considered quite a spectacle for some of the Chinese visitors who had never seen a 'Big Nose' (that's what they call us). However we were still amazed when we were openly stared at and stopped several times to be asked to have our picture taken with Chinese tourists, it was like being someone famous. It was extremely funny when the youngest member of the group who was 15 literally got mobbed by a group of teenage Chinese girls like he was a pop star (he loved it). The square is huge and a bit bleak, we couldn't help recalling the TV pictures in 1989 of the lone man holding up the tank. The architecture, grandeur and colour of the Forbidden City are incredible. The sharp eyed amongst us spotted Prof Lord Robert Winston wearing a very becoming panda hat.
•    Terracotta Warriors - some of us paid for an extension to see the Terracotta Warriors in Xian, what an amazing sight, row upon row of life size sculptures each with different faces discovered in 1974 and dating back to 210 BC and the First Emperor of China. It is estimated that there are over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.

This is 10 days of my life I will never forget. I have gained some amazing memories and some new friends, but most of all I have raised money for a great cause CLIC Sargent. This year I have undertaken several challenges; completed two 10k races and a half marathon getting a personal best time in each and have rounded this off with the Great Wall Charity Challenge. I hope you think my efforts are worth your sponsorship.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. 

This year I am raising money for CLIC Sargent who helped us through Sophie's cancer diagnosis and treatment. Sophie had cancer when she was 8 months old and is now a happy and healthy 12 year old. Unlike John and I she remembers nothing about her initial treatment, we, of course, remember every detail! Unfortunately though Sophie lives every day with the late effects of the treatment suffering high blood pressure due to kidney damage caused by the chemotherapy and last year she had major surgery to lengthen her right leg by 5 cms because the radiotherapy damaged the growth of her femur. The latter involved having a metal brace attached to her leg for 6 months whilst the bone which had been surgically broken was screwed apart and then allowed to re grow to fill the gap. She is now doing intensive physiotherapy to regain a fully functioning leg. Despite all this Sophie is always smiling, whistling and can chat for Britain. 

So what am I going to do to encourage you all to dig deep again and sponsor me. My main challenge will be to walk a section of the Great Wall of China. We start on 16th October and will cover about 63km over the following week. We start at Jinshanling and complete a vigorous trek looping along mountains either side of the Gubeikou Gateway. I'm told much of the trek is up steps of varying height, the blurb says your bum and thighs will be very firm from all the exercise needed to prepare for the challenge which is a good incentive. I've started walking to work but think I will need to do a bit more training than that....so in May I am going to do the Bristol 10k, in June the Bradley Stoke 10k and the Race for Life and in September the Bristol Half Marathon. I hope you think that's worth a few quid!

I'd like to reasure you that I won't be using your sponsor money to pay for the trip to China, I'm paying almost £1000 myself to take part in the challenge. If you would like to see how your donations will help CLICSargent please look at their website www.clicsargent.org.uk 

I will keep you updated on my progress and hope you enjoy reading about it all.

25.3.10 - Fundraising got off to a great start with a week of events centred around staff at North Bristol Trust. We did an event every day from 8th to 12th March (to coincide with CLIC Sargent's Yummy Mummy week) including 'pink' jogging, 'pink' raffle, 'pink' cake sale, 'pink' circuit training and a wear 'pink' day. The support from everyone was incredible with people from all over the Trust joining in plus a few friends. In particular the wear pink day and cake sale were adopted by several departments in the Trust and Jephson Homes (where John works) and brightened up the place considerably. The total raised from all these events was a staggering £837.50. Thank you to everyone for their support, you can see a couple of pictures on my wall.

26.4.10 Raised £147 from Pampered Chef Party, thanks to everyone who came, takes my total raised so far to over £1000 so well on my way to my target of £3000 now. 

2.5.10 Have just done a practice 10k with my neighbour Jane. We are both running the Bristol 10k next Sunday (9th) for CLIC Sargent. I'm aiming to complete it in an hour which will be a PB for me. Was lovely and cool out running today I hope it will be the same next week.

9.5.10 Completed the Bristol 10k in 56mins today, my PB time. Great day, lovely weather for it, not too hot. Thanks to Clive for running with me and keeping me to time, would probably still be out there without his support. Only Bradley Stoke 10k, Bristol Half Marathon and The Great Wall of China to go!!!

13.6.10 Well that's 2 challenges complete, 2 down 2 to go!. Did the Bradley Stoke 10k in 59mins, sadly not as good as Bristol but it was very hot and I don't like it hot! Could have been affected a bit by doing the Race for Life the day before and a late night at the post race BBQ. Not looking forward to the half marathon, can't really imagine doing twice the distance as I've been really struggling with my training lately, think I've peaked too early. 

29.8.08 Just completed my last long run, 60 mins, before the half marathon next Sunday. I have struggled with the training, had to do my 2 longest runs on holiday in Portugal. Was up at 5.30am ready to run, unfortunately the sun wasn't up til 6.20 so had to sit around and wait, didn't fancy the Portuguese roads in pitch darkness. At least I felt I had earned my sun lounger by the pool. Over the last 2 weeks the training has been tapering off, which is good because doing an hour run before work and getting in on time is proving tricky. Still all in a good cause! 

China feels really close now, will have to focus on walking after next weekend. Have had to pay the last instalment, apply for my Visa and print out the list of vaccinations needed, that alone is enough to put you off going. The itinerary has also come through and a video of the challenge is on the Charity Challenge website. Its all up steps, there doesn't seem to be a corresponding down section. Despite all the training I'm doing I am still out of breath climbing the stairs so that doesn't bode well. The itinerary doesn't give much info about sleeping arrangements and food, I'm sure both will be basic, actually that's probably my biggest concern about the challenge, but it will be an amazing experience and despite my nerves about it I can't wait.

5.9.10 - Yeah!! Completed the Bristol Half Marathon in 2hrs 4mins, personal best by 6mins, so pleased with that! The weather was great for me not so good for the spectators though. The queue for the loo at the start was huge and waiting nearly made me miss my section of the start, but when you gotta go you gotta go. Had to leave my bag with Paulina and the Heart crew (thank you) because I was running (pardon the pun) so late. Apart from that the race was really well organised and the support on the course from the spectators and the marshall's was superb. I had my name on my vest and at one point a girl in front of me turned and panted 'you're popular', I just said 'yeah, I know.' The mile or so after the hill by the Galleries was torture, but I realised my time was good and that, the crowd and your sponsorship really spurred me on. At the end CLIC Sargent were doing massages and had loads of sweets, crisps and drinks, so I settled in there for a while, until I felt a bit sick. Whilst there though I was interviewed for the Evening Post, that was fine until he went in search of his photographer. The picture attached here is much more flattering, so but the Evening Post tomorrow if you want a laugh.

Just the Great Wall Challenge to go now and i will have earned a rest over Xmas. I've got my Visa so that's sorted just got to get the jabs done now, looking forward to that (not).

1.10.10 - Two weeks today we will be flying to China, really excited now, just got to pack and buy the last few things on the list. My main concern is the first aid kit and the recommended medicines, with Immodium and Windeze on the list the pharmacy trip could be quite embarassing, I wonder if Tesco do these on-line!  Keeping up the training gets harder and harder as the mornings are dark when I get up and out for a run and the recent rain.... So long as I don't think too hard about it its ok but if I tempt myself to a lie in all is lost. Maybe I'll have a rest when this is over, problem is I may enjoy it.

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