What can we really say about The Great Wall? It was as incredibly breathtaking as we had imagined; we couldn’t have dreamt it to be any better. The part that we visited, between Jinshanling and Simatai, is one of the furthest from Beijing, meaning that it is undisturbed by the masses of tourists that flock to the closer sections, and it also retains its authenticity since it has not yet been fully restored. Here are a few photos of our visit; we took hundreds and will spare you by only sharing a few of our favorites.
Miles and miles of wall stretched out in both directions as we began our hike from Jinshanling to Simatai.
As we hiked, the views kept getting better and better.
This section of The Wall contains 22 watch towers, each with their own unique style.
We were by no means the only people on The Wall that day, however, at times it felt as though we were out there on our own.
Smiles come easy when you’re on The Great Wall.
Great Wall aside, hiking through this lush green mountain range was spectacular in and of itself.
Many of the towers along the way offered commanding views of The Wall’s snake-like figure rolling from peak to peak.
We found ourselves snapping a photo nearly every minute; we had to constantly remind ourselves to take breaks from our cameras and soak up the present moment.
This steep section of the Simatai wall is currently closed and expected to reopen in October 2012.
We loved encountering rustic stretches of The Wall that have yet to be restored. At times it felt like the stones might crumble away.
It is impossible to measure the length of The Great Wall in its entirety, but estimates put it at more than 5,000 miles long. To give you an idea of its vastness, that is longer than I-90, the longest interstate in the USA, which runs from Seattle to Boston.
Some of the best views came towards the end of our hike as we climbed steeply to the East Simatai Gate. Our glutes were killing us the next day!
7km. 22 towers. 100s of photos. 1 great day!
The Chamborres Expedition 
Thank you and fantastic pictures.
One of the places I’ve always wanted to go.
All I can say is WOW. No matter how many times I see the pics, I feel the same, overwhelmed. I can only imagine how you felt in person! Wendy
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I am overcome with emotion just looking at these pictures; I can only imagine what it was like for the two of you seeing and walking The Great Wall together. Your pictures are beautiful and capture the vastness so well. The mountain ranges are stunning! Wow, the sheer will power, loyalty and endurance the Chinese people embraced completing the wall is truly incredible! I so enjoy your posts and pictures 🙂
And I though the Great Wall of China was just a restaurant!
Impresionante. Es una maravilla vivir “historia” en este lugar donde muchas vidas tuvieron su historia. Las fotos mesmorizan y ustedes como siempre tan felices. Besos Mama