Over Wall and Valley Time: Sunday, March 20.

Where: Fifteen towers in Huairou District, north of Beijing.

Depart: 7 am at the Lido, outside Starbucks.

Return: 5:30 pm

Travel time: One hour and 40 minutes

Walking time: Six to seven hours.

Walking Distance: 19 kilometers.

Highest elevation: Around 800 meters.

Route: This stretch of the Wall is to the west of Shentangyu valley and east of Mutianyu Great Wall.

There are many stretches of the Wall in this area and the hike includes one section.

A local guide and the organizer will take the group hiking from the first tower to the 15th tower.

Keep in mind, no walk on the Wall is an easy one, and this hike fits the bill, as much of it takes place on the un-restored Wall.

As always with a Wall walk you will hike along an exposed ridge, there are rocky bits to climb and difficult boulders to navigate, the rope will come in handy at some tricky parts.

It’s a challenging hike, a long walk on the Wall and quite an exhilarating ridge walk. To come on the hike you will need good balance, not be afraid of heights, patience and stamina.

The hike team will not rush it, but will take their time to enjoy the view.

Cost: 150 yuan (US$18) per adult and 100 yuan (US$12) per child under 12. The fee includes round trip transportation, snacks and beverages, a detailed map of the hike and professional guides. Fees will be collected on the bus.

Join the Beijing Hikers and sign up.

E-mail: info@beijinghikers.com or call Huijie at 139 100 25516. Reservation is required.

Leave you phone number when signing up so the club can get in touch with you if a trip has to be cancelled or changed in case of bad weather.

Heifengkou Great Wall

Time: Saturday, March 19.

Where: Heifengkou Great Wall.

Depart: 8:30 am outside of the Big Easy (south gate of Chaoyang Park).

Return: 5:30pm.

Route: The hike begins in a small village and the Great Wall can be seen just a hundred metres up on the mountain side. Across the first stretch, there’s a valley between two mountains where the Great Wall is broken. The hike continues up to another track along the Great Wall, to a special tower at its summit.

Cost: 150 yuan (US$18) per adult, 100 yuan (US$12) for children under 12. The fee covers transportation, English tour guide, local guide, park entrance fee, water and local family visit.

To join the hiking team and sign up, please email Lucy: lucy@highclub.cn or call 6553 3920, 130 1117 1326 or Fax: 6553 3920.

(Beijing Weekend March 17, 2005)