GRAHAM COMPLETES CHALLENGE

Despite 100 degree temperatures

If you remember Albion fan Graham Hamilton was raising money for the Aberlour Child Care Trust’s China Challenge 2000. Well Graham has now completed his Great Wall of China challenge and in the process raising around £2,500 towards the overall total raised so far of over £120,000. Graham has agreed to give a synopsis of the challenge.

Graham is pictured here on the Albion's plastic pitch at Annfield celebrating our 1990/91 Second Division Championship success

The first day of the walk saw myself and my fellow 55 walkers rise around 6am to climb the almost 4,000 stairs of the Jurongguan Pass area of the wall. This pass saw the wall take a circular shape on each side of the path and mostly made up of stairs and has been completely reconstructed. A good number of the stairs were at an almost vertical angle and varied in depth. With training for the walk having went well we were not really prepared for the temperature of over 100 degrees (which continued for the duration), especially with our day packs on and this saw some walkers suffer the effects of heat exhaustion. With everybody recovered from the previous day we were more prepared for the high temperatures (thank goodness for the cool watchtowers between sections of wall) and the 6-hour duration of the days walk. Today we set about tackling the Mutianyu section, again a reconstructed part. Fortunately today was a mixture of flat area and staircases over the rolling green hills of Northern China. At the end of the walk we had the option of climbing a further 1,000 stairs to where the reconstructed wall met the beginning of the ruined wall, which I foolishly did.

  The third day was split into morning and afternoon. Firstly a 5km pre-walk through the local village to the start of the days walk on the Huangyaguan wall. This took us up and down over the mountain with a mixture of stairs and flat walkways and finished with a steep pathway down to the converted army barracks where we stayed two nights. The barracks were the best place we stayed even if it had been the most basic of the accommodation. Late afternoon we walked a small but steep section of the wall, which ended in an almost vertical staircase of around 400 steps to the lookout area and spectacular views of the tree covered sharply pointed surrounding mountains. The fourth day was the toughest, over 20kms in baking heat, which also saw the high humidity arrive. Not only was the heat and humidity a challenge, the Jinshangling to Simatai section is completely un-reconstructed wall where every step had to be taken carefully. Thankfully the watchtowers were a haven due to their cool interiors and gave respite from the 100-degree heat. A plus for the day though had been the delay on the two-hour bus ride to the wall where an accident had blocked the road. Here we were able to mix with the local villagers. This all came to an end when the police arrived and ordered us back onto the bus or face arrest (The government do not like the countryside villages mixing with westerners, in the past they have told them they would catch aids if the accepted T-shirts from westerner

The last day of the walk took place on the lesser wall, which surrounded one of the Chinese Emperors summer retreats in Chengde, where they went to escape the summer heat of Beijing (Peking), even though today’s temperature was in the mid 90’s. We began with a 3.5 km walk through the city and then the 6km walk along the lesser wall before beginning the 6km climb to the top of Bangcui Hill (known as hammer hill amongst other names some best un-mentioned) where the walk was completed. The final two days were spent in Beijing where we visited the Forbidden City (see the movie the last emperor) and spending a day haggling prices in Silk Alley street market.

The walk was the most punishing thing I have ever done mainly due to the incredible heat we had to endure throughout, but it was also the most incredible experience. There is so much more of the trip I could say including the food, accommodation and our Chinese guides and the countless photo’s I have. I would though like to thank all the Albion fans that gave to the fundraising and to Scott who not only gave me access to the web but his company also sponsored a race at my Race night.  Also Stirling Albion who allowed me to raise money at the ground and the Young Reds for their kind donation. Hopefully the money my fellow walkers and myself have raised will give the opportunity for the children Aberlour help to achieve their ambitions.