Great Wall EASY climb?
 

About a week to go before we leave, and my husband has not fully recovered from unplanned knee surgery a few weeks ago. What is the easiest Great Wall location to climb, even if it means taking the easy way out by riding a cable car? Does Badaling have cable car access, and if so, to where and what is the climb like from that point? Does one take the cable car both up and down from the steepest pionts? Finally, how warm or chilly would it be in early October? Thanks - Claire

Mutianyu has a cable car that you can ride both ways. You do have to walk a short, somewhat steep, hill to get to the lower cable car stop. Once on the top, the main route is to go to the east (to the right). You don't go very far before the wall becomes a fairly steep climb (as the wall undulates with the ridgeline you go down and up). I only know that at the end of November it can be pd cold.

Thanks, mrwunrfl. How are the views from Mutianyu? Is the steep climb on the wall in the form of stairs or ramp with handrails, in pretty decent shape? In other words, despite its steepness is it reasonably easy to climb, or does it require 2 hands and pulling yourself up? Claire

I posted a few pictures at www.billk.org, just click on the boxes on page 1 (for some reason the thumbnails are not appearing). If you maximize the window that pops up you will see the whole picture and the captions that I wrote for you.

As you can see, there are no handrails and pretty much no stairs. I can't say how tough it will be for David to walk, or for you. I encourage you to go. The walk up to the lower cable car station could be tough for some people, but where there is a will (and a few yuan) there is a way to get there. Ride to the top and check it out. It is worth the visit, I think, even if you don't walk much of the wall. It is a pretty incredible site.

Wow, you really are Mr. Wonderful! Thanks a million - these pix are sure worth thousands of words. We really appreciate your work in posting this. Now I understand - none of the pictures I've seen before show shots like these of the cable cars. Let's hope for a clear day! Claire

Just for a point of info....I had a really hard time with the steep hill going to the tram. Might be able to negotiate the actual wall but up and down present a problem.

Claire, I hope that you see the comment by rcw818 about the steep walk to the lower tram station. You might get all the way out there and not be able to make the hill! If that is the case, then I suggest that you work out a ride from the parking lot up the hill to the tram stop. There are vehicles parked at/near the tram stop, either vendor or worker vehicles. I would expect that you could pay for a ride up. It's not Germany, after all (that is to say there might be some flexibility in the rules, esp. when money does the talking).

Thanks to you both - I think what we'll do is discuss with our driver before we even leave whether he will drive us all the way up to the cable car starting point at Mutianyu. If not, maybe we should reconsider at that time doing Badaling, which I read also has a cable car both ways. Views seem spectacular from the top of either, though the madding crowds at the latter are off-putting. Claire

Claire. We went to the Mutianyu section in August. Im in fairly good shape and even the steep steps to the cable car were tiring. Once on the wall its steep too within a couple of hundred feet. That being said, you should do all you can to get up there even if you rest a lot....its truly a world wonder. I cant speak for the other sections but this section was relatively empty midweek. Good luck...Beijing is fascenating.

We were at Mutianyu Monday Sept 27, 2004. The view is fabulous and the tram is great but I agree the walk to the tram is steep. Once you get to the wall you will also have a quite a few steps to the top, but it is worth it. On the wall itself, there is an area going both directions that is relatively flat. Please take advantage of this opportunity if the weather is clear. Even though Beijing was more smoggy that day then the first few we were there it was clearer up on the wall. Good luck!

Oh and the weather was perfect, mid 70's and a nice breeze.