On the 11th April 2014, I stood tall on a peak of the Great Wall of China. It was the culmination of a year’s worth of fundraising efforts and five years to the day since I’d watched my dad lose his fight with cancer. Five and a half years earlier, I had watched my mum do the same. That was when my family were first introduced to the vital work Macmillan do.
Walking the Great Wall of China had always been high on my ‘bucket list’ and Macmillan’s China Challenge seemed the perfect way to say a big thank you to the organisation which supported my parents when they needed it most.
And so my journey started… bright and early at Heathrow with another 44 excited trekkers. One long delay and missed connection, a brief detour to Doha and 34 hours later, we arrived at our Beijing hotel as exhausted and long-suffering comrades-in-arms. It was 2am and the first day’s trek started in the morning!
Thankfully, the tour leader Greg decided to go easy on us and took us on a ‘gentle’ two-hour introduction to a nicely reconstructed section of the wall. Sounds a doddle. But with knee-high steps, dusty and treacherous inclines and a newly found dislike for heights, it was a shock to the system.
One day down, six to go!
Of course, much more was to come the day after. The day of Heaven’s Ladder. Now, this day was tough. Eight hours tough. 30 degrees heat tough. Tough. Legs still sore from the day before, faces smothered in SPF30 and with jam sandwiches, toilet paper and six bottles of water strapped to our backs, the infamous ascent of 300 steps loomed before us. I have no regrets in telling you there are no photos of this day’s trekking. Every ounce of energy and concentration was focused on my survival!
So it’s a good job we have Google to provide what I was too petrified to:
Yep, those are all steps.
At many sections of the wall, the ancient wonder was often worn away to no more than rubble. Reduced to scrambling up inclines on all fours, I envisioned the manicure I’d get back in Beijing. I also learnt that the steps of the wall were purposely built unevenly in order to slow down approaching foreign armies. I can safely say their strategy works.
Don’t look down!
Um... has anyone seen the steps?
At the end of our day, we headed to a local villager’s home for the night; four or six people to a room, and sometimes six of us to a very long bed. We queued to pay 10 Chinese yeun for a hot shower. After surviving the day on bread, jam and a crushed boiled egg, the home-cooked food was the most delicious I have ever tasted. Naively, we believed ourselves to be indulging in authentic local food. Until we saw the food the locals actually ate. Sheep’s brain, anyone? No? Fish head casserole then.
One of the smaller locals :)
Due to the delay at the start of our journey, the trek was amended to six (longer) days as opposed to the planned seven. The last day was an ascent up to 1,100m above sea level. Ouch. With 45 weary pairs of legs, a twisted ankle and a multitude of blisters between us, we dragged our aching bodies up the hillside and to spectacular views.
Over lunch, perched high upon the wall, I gave a talk about Macmillan’s Cancer Information Development team, the team I work in at Macmillan and who publish this blog. Some people had lost parents, some partners, some siblings. Others were survivors of cancer themselves. Others had friends or family who were still fighting. I discussed how vital it was that all our cancer information and resources were reviewed by people affected by cancer.
Definitely the most memorable (and highest) presentation I’ve ever given.
At this point, all that was left was the descent to the finishing line. As the crew showered us with pink fizz, many of us were overcome with emotion as we cheered and embraced: thoughts of our loved ones, the magnitude of our achievement, and both relief and sadness that the challenge was over.
At this point, I’d be amiss to not give a ‘shout out’ to the Macmillan challenge rep, Lauren, who tended to our every need, and the Discover Adventure crew who led the trekking. Absolute professionals. They were assisted by two local guides Alan and James (don’t ask me to give their Chinese names!) who navigated the wall like our own personal superheroes. Alan was a student in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and filled every spare moment with his unique insights into Chinese history, society, education and politics. It was an amazing glimpse into an ancient culture.
Alan and Greg replenishing lost fluids
In summary, the trip was exhausting, at times terrifying and completely unforgettable.
I’ll always remember:
To anyone thinking of doing a similar challenge, I would say ‘do it!’ It takes a lot of time, energy and hard work to fundraise for the trip, but the rewards are massive. China is a unique and fascinating country and I feel honoured to have been part of a group which raised an astounding £200,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support – more than enough to operate the Macmillan Support Line for a month, answering 7,135 calls and emails from people needing practical or financial support, or just wanting to chat.
If the China Challenge isn’t your cup of tea, take a look at Macmillan’s other challenge events. There’s something for everyone from trekking Hadrian’s Wall to cycling through Vietnam.
Have you been affected by cancer? We need people like you to help improve our cancer information resources. Email reviewing@macmillan.org.uk for more information on becoming a reviewer.
