Great Wall of China
GREAT WALK OF CHINA |
Expedition Synopsis
In 2007 Tarka L’Herpiniere (26) and Katie-Jane Cooper (28) carried out the longest ever continual trek along the entire 4300km length of the Great Wall of China, from its Westerly extremity to its most Easterly point. The pair trekked for 167 days covering in excess of 100 consecutive marathons, over terrains ranging from the barren Gobi Desert to towering snow capped mountain passes, with a third of their bodyweight on their backs!
Journeys Along The Wall
Contrary to common belief the Great Wall of China is not one long wall but rather a collection of walls built between 685BC and 1644AD. If all the pieces of wall were fitted together the wall is believed to be 52,000km long, long enough to circumnavigate the earth around the equator. A number of people have 
completed monumental journeys along the Great Wall including but not limited to: William Lindsey, a British man who in 1987 completed an unbelievable run from Jiayuguan (The Western terminus of the Ming Great Wall) to Shanhaiguan (What was believed to be the Eastern terminus of the Ming Great Wall) completing 2470km. Gayle Hall, an American lady who in 2002 undertook a colossal journey beginning at Yumenguan (The Western most terminus of the Han Great Wall and believed to be the Western most terminus of all the walls) and completing her journey at Shanhaiguan. Nathan Gray, a New Zealander who in 2002 after 2 years also completed a trek from Jiayuguan to Shanhaiguan. In 1992 archaeologists and Great Wall historians officially recognized that the Hushan Great Wall (named Tiger Mountain) in the province of Liaoning was in fact The Eastern terminus of the Great Wall. Tarka and Katie-Jane’s voyage followed the wall from Yumenguan to Tiger Mountain, making it the longest continual trek along the Great Wall and with a winter crossing, it was definately a unique challenge. Since Katie-Jane and Tarka’s return from China there have been a number of other people who have undertaken fantastic journeys along the Great Wall. Walking the Ming Wall at the same time as Primal Journey was an American and Australian couple Brendan Fletcher and Emma Nicholas. This was shortly followed by another Australian, Mark Scholinz. Mark’s journey, differing from ours as he followed only the Ming Wall, is without doubt the most comprehensive journey along the Ming Wall to date. He wove back and forth between all the scatted remains, from one section to another, covering a total distance of 4800km in 9 months. (If you are planning a journey along the wall Primal Journey would be more than happy to help.)
Aspen Aerogels Journey
The months in the desert brought them dust devils and sandstorms, with winds strong enough to throw them off their feet. Katie suffered from critical dehydration deep in the desert, which led to an emergency evacuation to hospital with the help of a hijacked bus. With their very limited vocabulary the pair were often faced with ‘interesting’ food options, including pig’s heart and ears, chickens’ feet and stomachs, larvae, and dog meat to name a few. Once into the mountains in the second half of their journey, they endured pain caused by temperatures below -35°C, freezing eyelashes together, frost nipped cheeks and fingers, and nights spent shivering. Katie suffered a major back injury that almost prematurely terminated the expedition. With a fever of 38°C and nerve endings being damaged in her lower spine she was rushed to hospital again! This second hospital visit used up all their spare rest days and this coupled with the mountainous terrain preventing speedy progress, led to not a single rest day in the last 57 days walking. Hygiene issues to overcome included infestations, foot rot, rashes, cysts and feminine susceptibility to infection caused by the lack of hygienic sanitary conditions. Their final battle came in the last week with the worst snow blizzard to hit China in half a century, producing Antarctic strength winds and 2 metres of snow in one night. All of this hardship was worthwhile when experiencing the overwhelming generosity and hospitality by the rural people taking them in and providing them with food, water and shelter.
The actual presence of the Great Wall throughout the first half of the journey was very sporadic. Built from little more than sand and mud, the onslaught of the winds over the centuries has eroded the magnificent structure, to little more than piles of fine sand and rubble running along the dessert. The wall steadily became more impressive as the pair travelled east, but only when they reached the great mountain ranges 2500km from their start point did the wall emerge in all its glory. The sandstone construction they had seen for so many months gave way to the towering stone construction that is known the world over, snaking its way over the mountains with vertical grace and unequaled grandeur.
Due to China’s doors being closed to outsiders until just recently, the isolation under which this country and its cultures developed has placed it in a world of its own. Once out of the developing cities and tourist spots, deep in the deserts and mountains a journey of cultural discovery began as they stepped into a world where westerners had never been seen in the flesh. This is a place where hospitality and generosity aren’t obscured by greed and wealth and where friendship is the key to life. “Experiencing such warmth, hospitality and generosity when not even a word has been spoken, just a shared smile, is something that will stay with us for life.” Tarka recalls.
