Great Wall of China: Conquering my Fear of Heights

I have always been afraid to go to high places since I was a child and after realizing and embracing my fear, I’m trying to conquer it one baby step at a time now.

This time around, climbing up the Great Wall in Beijing had just proven to be a nice exercise to do that.

Most Great wall tours that I’ve heard were about Simatai and Badaling and I’ve never heard of anything else aside from those. the hostel that I stayed was offering the same kind of tours for about 300 Yuan and I noticed another Great wall tour that cost less (about 230 Yuan).

Being the cheapskate that I am, I opted to book the Yellow Flower City Great wall Tour instead since it’s the cheapest option to catch one of the most impressive man-made wonders in the whole world.

We all arrived at Yellow Flower City after a short two hour drive from our hostel. The first challenge then for me was to cross the short hanging bridge. Our crazy and stupid driver was making fun of me and was jumping on the hanging bridge while I was walking on it. Maybe he sensed that I was afraid of it because I was too cautious on every step I took.

As soon as we crossed the bridge we then proceeded on the short ascent that lasted for maybe about half an hour.

Everyone was enjoying the short hike except me and one Mexican who were busy stopping and catching our breaths. I was starting to think that I should quit smoking to improve my stamina but hell no.

Finally we were able to enter one of the Great Wall’s fort and started climbing up to explore the other areas.

F*ck!!! Some areas were too steeped for me to walk on and I started feeling dizzy because it felt like I already reached my tolerable altitude limit. I’m not sure if you could relate to this but sometimes when I’m on a very high place, I get this weird feeling of wanting to jump which I know is a crazy thought right.

I’ve decided to stop and chat instead with our tour guide about how life’s like in Beijing. After being in Beijing for just a couple of days, I felt that I could live in this city for awhile. I like the city’s cool vibe and of course the food. Eating Chinese food is on top of almost everyone’s list right?

After a couple of hours of waiting for everyone else. We’ve all went back to the restaurant and had our lunch.

Survival Tips to Future Great Wall Explorers

1. Wear comfortable shoes with good grip. You don’t want to be the first tourist who slipped and fell of the wall, do you?

2. Depending on the climate, wear appropriate clothing. It was a little cold when I went there last April 29 and good thing i carried my hoodie with me.

3. Bring your bottled water. Climbing up the wall is exhausting and drinking water every now and then will help you feel refreshed and hydrated.

4. Don’t rush yourself. The tour will give you ample time to explore a few areas of the Great Wall. take your time to appreciate the beauty of this magnificent structure.

5. Take your trash with you: “nuff said.

Photo credits: Pics by Frameless World