Running from Gubeikou to Simatai

[Gatelli]

Hello all, congratulation for this website I just discovered.
I'm a long-distance runner, using to run in mountain trails.
I go to Beijing in about 15 days and I intend to perform a run/trek from Gubeikou to Simatai, for 20 kilometers.
I've been told there are some difficulties to find his way by bypassing the military area, and I don't want to spend my time researching the right path.

So I'm looking after your own experience : is anybody here has detailed information, map, or better (my wish!!!) : a GPS track of this section... it would be excellent !

Because I can't restrict myself to make the Jinshanling-Simatai section which is only 10km...

Thank you in advance for your help.

Gatelli.

[Bryan]

Hello and welcome to the Great Wall Forum!

Thank you for your question. Your plan sounds very interesting! You are correct; the path is not very easy to find. There are several ways to get from the road through Gubeikou (the JingCheng Expressway) to the Great Wall. None of them are easy to find. Also, there is one military area where you must leave the wall, bypass the military area, and regain the wall on the other side.

You should be able to make it in one day; others have. Our member Fauster did this trek in two days recently. I will be interested to find out if you have the time and energy to climb up the Simatai ridge on the East side of the Simatai reservoir once you reach the reservoir!

The path is pretty slippery and steep in some places, and especially in the Gubeikou Panlongshan area, where the wall is not in good condition, you will not likely be able to run the entire distance.

You can find complete GPS tracks of the route at Gubeikou to Jinshanling and Jinshanling to Simatai, where they can be downloaded in several formats.

Good luck to you! Please let us know about your results after you return. Have a great trip!

[Bryan]

This thread describes another approach to Gubeikou. It's the one I took. It's not the same one shown on the GPS tracks, though.

[Bryan]

Looking now at the Jinshanling to Simatai track, it's obvious that they took the cable car from the Jinshan Binguan up to the wall, thereby skipping a short section of the Great Wall and a good bit of climbing. Just be aware of that. The Great Wall is restored in this area and there is no route-finding issue at all.

[Gatelli]

Thank you very much for these detailed and quick answers... Even more than I expected...
I got GPS files, I'll take a look soon. Anyway I'll keep you advised about my trip...
Thank you again !

[chinoook]

You may find information about that walk in an earlier version of the "Lonely Planet" about China. If requested I could send you a scan of my copy.


-chinoook

[Gatelli]

Originally Posted by chinoook

You may find information about that walk in an earlier version of the "Lonely Planet" about China. If requested I could send you a scan of my copy.

Of course I'm interested Chinoook! Thanks!

[chinoook]

Originally Posted by Gatelli

Of course I'm interested Chinoook! Thanks!

For I work at a diffent place I live and my books are I will not be able to deliver a copy before 31.05.2008. Sorry.


-chinoook

[Gatelli]

Anyway my travel start 9th of june. If you have time to do it, I thank you very much!

[Gatelli]

My run is in 2 days now.
You'll be able to see the photos on my new website :
www.runtheplanet.fr