Home - 2017 - China - Day 4 - Great Wall

Photographer: Josh Eckels

Escaping Beijing in the car Out in the rural areas The trailhead Ready to conquer In the parking lot, with the reconstruction materials We're not supposed to be here First close up view of a tower Up on the wall at Jiankou Happy to be done with the boring part of the trail Overgrown Following the ridgeline Towers everywhere Lots of cherry blossoms Heading up Well worn but intact Scramble up the broken steps Looking backwards Semi-circular portal Hugging the ridge Cherry blossoms In front of the hazy valley Moving towards a crumbled watchtower Along the ramparts Jiankou panorama Pink and purple explosion Showing some cracks Overcast ridgelines Popping into the ruined tower Square tower with approach All alone, on guard All alone up on the wall All alone up on the wall Lichens and mortar Some original paving in place, but most is long gone Semi-flat stretch Heading back to try the other direction Arches only left for this tower Largely intact tower with other hikers Just a mess of stone at this point Portal view Low clearance, mind your head Super steep section ahead A large group makes it slow descent Bent over the top A few colorful dots of other hikers Loosely reconstructed section Scaffolding and flags ahead View from the top Our high point of the hike Death to selfie-sticks About to cleave off Flowering trees and haze Newly rebuilt section Rustic scaffolding Reconstructed stretch Looking down The steep and narrow Totally retaken by plants Pausing for a water break Surrounded by blooms Like a giant snake Crumbling cross-section Black-billed magie (AKA, Oreo crow) Black-billed magpie in flight Appetizer sampler Our duck being carved Duck condiment tray Peking duck Main train station at night Dark alleyway

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