Hike! 2009 East Hebei trek

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Kim

Big Agnes Copper Spur is 1.53 kg and 400 USD (2770 RMB).

Hogan Ultralight Argon is 1.49 kg and 2398 RMB.

Probably Hogan Ultralight will be a better choice but don't know the price.

$400 is the list price for the Big Agnes Copper Spur. I have seen them on sale for about $300. So the price seems comparable. But I wonder if the Hogan tents are freestanding.

[Kim]

How many of (to us) unknown Great Wall locations do you stil have?

Bryan already have my GE file posted but I will send him an update in a few days.

Is this evident? Do you know the exact year of building these towers? How long did the Ming have time to defend the Liaoning Great Wall?

The city wall of Xingcheng was build during the Ming dynasty and rebuild in 1624 after an earthquake.
Shenyang was taken in 1621 and between 1626 and 1642 there were many attacks. The beacon tower (40°38'13.55"N 120°45'26.49"E) was probably build at the same time as the city wall.

The other beacon tower (40°41'26.37"N 120°37'19.41"E) is very close the Great Wall, and I've only seen it from the road on a very foggy day, but it definitely looks like the real thing.

The third (40°25'6.73"N 120°14'49.03"E) is only a guess but I believe that the Great Wall is/was close to that location.

Unfortunately not much is published about the Liaoning Great Wall so it's difficult to say anything for sure, however I plan a 3 day trip to the Xingcheng area later this year to explore the wall in this area.

I got this from a small book about Xingcheng:

The Great Wall can easily be visited from Xingcheng. The most accessible part include 15 km within the Xingcheng city boundary and 58 km in neighbouring Suizhong. The Xingcheng part dates from a reconstruction in 1442.

A system of isolated watchtowers still remain between the Great Wall and the see. The Shou Shan signal tower (40°38'13.55"N 120°45'26.49"E) and Xingcheng walled city (40°37'15.38"N 120°42'26.72"E) both formed part of the same defensive system.

[Kim]

$400 is the list price for the Big Agnes Copper Spur. I have seen them on sale for about $300. So the price seems comparable. But I wonder if the Hogan tents are freestanding.

I'm not sure but it seems like it (link).

As you probably know everything can be bargained in China

[chinoook]

Wow! Many thanks for the information. We see there is a lot of research to be done in Liaoning.

-chinoook

Originally Posted by Kim

Bryan already have my GE file posted but I will send him an update in a few days.



The city wall of Xingcheng was build during the Ming dynasty and rebuild in 1624 after an earthquake.
Shenyang was taken in 1621 and between 1626 and 1642 there were many attacks. The beacon tower (40°38'13.55"N 120°45'26.49"E) was probably build at the same time as the city wall.

The other beacon tower (40°41'26.37"N 120°37'19.41"E) is very close the Great Wall, and I've only seen it from the road on a very foggy day, but it definitely looks like the real thing.

The third (40°25'6.73"N 120°14'49.03"E) is only a guess but I believe that the Great Wall is/was close to that location.

Unfortunately not much is published about the Liaoning Great Wall so it's difficult to say anything for sure, however I plan a 3 day trip to the Xingcheng are later this year to explore the wall in this area.

I got this from a small book about Xingcheng:

[Kim]

Wow! Many thanks for the information. We see there is a lot of research to be done in Liaoning.

I only have 3 hours by car to Xingcheng so I will most like make some weekend trips there in the years to come.

[Bryan]

Question: Judging from your knowledge of the number and condition of towers along the path from Shanhaiguan to Huangyaguan, and how many hotels or other existing shelters we will be using as opposed to camping, do you think it would be possible to do without a tent? Just wondering.

[Kim]

Question: Judging from your knowledge of the number and condition of towers along the path from Shanhaiguan to Huangyaguan, and how many hotels or other existing shelters we will be using as opposed to camping, do you think it would be possible to do without a tent? Just wondering.

Most of the Great Wall in Hebei have watch towers in fairly good condition so for a great part of the trek it should be possible to sleep in one of them.

It will most likely be difficult to find a hotel, but if the weather gets really bad it should be possible to stay at a local farmer. Most small villages have a small supermarket where we can buy water and food.

[Bryan]

So do you think we could get away without carrying a tent? Maybe bring bivy sacks for emergency use?

We should work on identifying locations where there are hotels. I can think of Shanhaiguan, Panjiakou, and Huangyaguan. Do you think there might be more places? How about Jiumenkou?

[Kim]

We should work on identifying locations where there are hotels. I can think of Shanhaiguan, Panjiakou, and Huangyaguan. Do you think there might be more places? How about Jiumenkou?

I don't think there is any hotels at Jiumenkou, but being a major tourist spot in there area there might be some kind of hotel. In the past I didn't pay much attention to hotels but I will surely do so in the future.

The area around Yiyuankou might have hotels. Taolinkou is also a big scenic spot so it might have hotels, but I have not been there yet - I will go there later this year. Baiyangyu might have since there is also a big temple in the area. Louwenyu is about 10 km from a bigger city so it should be possible to go there and find a hotel. In there area around Qingdongling (Eastern Qing Tombs) there should also be some hotels. From last weekend I know that Qingshanguan have a hotel, although it didn't seem to be completely finished yet, but it should be finished before next year.

There shouldn't be much rain in september so it should be possible to go without a tent.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Kim

There shouldn't be much rain in september so it should be possible to go without a tent.

It's good to hear you say that. I am willing to do without a tent. I'm certainly not bringing one this September. Nathan Gray (and Polly Greeks) didn't use a tent and that seemed to work out OK (though it would have been nice for the blizzard on their first night on the wall together).

The Bradt Great Wall of China book shows two hotels at Panjiakou (page 130) and one at Dongling (page 133). But it reports "no accommodation at Jiumenkou at the time of writing ... likely to change in the coming years" (page 120).

So this is the list we have so far for hotel locations in order from east to west:

• Shanhaiguan
• Jiumenkou ?
• Yiyuankou ?
• Taolinkou ?
• Baiyangyu ?
• Qingshanguan
• Panjiakou
• Luowenyu (Zunhua)
• Malanyu (Dongling)
• Huangyaguan