[greatwallforum]

I have decided on a few more details of the trip. My wife and I will arrive in Shanghai on August 14. I will go to Beijing around August 20. I will stay in the Beijing Great Wall area until the end of September.

Upon first arriving in the Beijing area, I will go to Huairou and try some long section hikes. First I plan to begin at Qinglongxia, the eastern limit of the Great Wall in Huairou on the border with Miyun. I will trek from there to Jiankou via Hefangkou, Shentangyu, and Mutianyu. I will spend plenty of time exploring and taking photos in the Jiankou area. From the Beijing Knot at Jiankou I will then take the inner Wall route towards Moyashike, Lianyunling, Dazhenyu, Sanchakou, Huanghuacheng, Zhuangdaokou, Xishuiyu, Longquanyu, and beyond.

Next I will spend about a week to ten days in Miyun county (Bailingguan, Simatai, Jinshanling, Gubeikou). This is my favorite area of the Great Wall. I may try to cross over the Sky Bridge at Simatai if conditions are good. I also hope to explore the Wohushan area of Gubeikou and to the west from there.

There is a lot of Great Wall to explore in Huairou and I don't know if I will have time to pursue my plans in Yanqing county which include exploring both sides of Badaling. That might have to wait until a later trip.