Discover China
Embark on a fascinating journey along the Great Wall of China and into the heart of rural life.
Trek China
About
12 - 21 October 2012
This trek of discovery is a fascinating journey along the Great Wall of China and into the heart of rural life. Travel through watchtowers and trek up and down the steps of the wall, before leaving the beaten track to explore the farmlands and villages of the countryside. The trek will end with a day in Beijing to explore this captivating city, taking in sights such as the stunning Forbidden City.
'The trek was the most challenging experience of my life, yet at the same time, so rewarding. Each day was so different and the support from the other trekkers was fantastic. I will always remember what a fantastic experience it was.'
Gloria, 2010
Minimum sponsorship
Non-refundable registration fee: £300
Minimum sponsorship: £3,200
The cost of the trek including flights from London is £1,445. These costs are paid from your sponsorship. 80 per cent of your sponsorship is required 10 weeks before departure.
How we will support you as part of Team Breast Cancer Care:
- a support pack full of fundraising and training advice
- a Breast Cancer Care T-shirt to wear on your challenge
- support and advice from a dedicated member of the Breast Cancer Care challenges team
- regular newsletters and emails to keep you updated
- a get together to meet your fellow challengers ahead of departure
- fundraising materials to help you including balloons, banners and collection tins
- 20 per cent off your first purchase from Sweaty Betty – specialists in performance wear for women
- 15 per cent off at Cotswold Outdoor.
We hope to welcome you to Team Breast Cancer Care very soon!
Only Breast Cancer Care fundraisers will be taking part in this challenge.
Itinerary
Day 1: International Departure
Meet at the Airport for your flight to Beijing, China. Our Charity Challenge representative will be there to assist you with the check-in and any last minute questions. You will be passing over the Great Wall before landing at Beijing airport.
Day 2: Beijing to Badaling Area
Upon arrival in Beijing you will be met at the airport by a Charity Challenge local agent who will transfer you to your hotel. After check in, you will have the rest of the afternoon to relax and enjoy your surroundings or go for a walk in the surrounding area. In the evening after dinner, you will meet for your challenge briefing and have the opportunity to ask any questions of your challenge leader.
Day 3: Badaling Great Wall
Today, you will ease yourself into the challenge with a short but demanding day of trekking along the un-renovated section of the Great Wall of China.
Starting with a road transfer to get you to the start point, you will commence your climb, first steeply uphill, watchtower after watchtower along a very rough and stony path with uneven steps until gradually, it levels off and begins to descend again. After lunch, transfer back to your lodge to rest and reflect on your first day of trekking along the Great Wall.
Day 4: Trek Dayingpan area
A wonderful days trek today through the Chinese countryside and onto the wall. You will transfer to Dayingpan early morning to start your days trek through local villages along Mountain roads. You will pass local farmer’s houses and fields, whilst having the incredible view of the Wall always in the distance. Some parts have collapsed to the ground already, and this is where you will join the trek onto the Great Wall itself. Your trek on the ruins of the Wall will lead you to Watergate where you will experience the amazing view to the bottom of the valley, where torrents pass through in rainy season.
Day 5: Black Dragon Pools
This morning you will transfer to Heilongtan and begin today’s trek in the lush environment of Black Dragon Pools National Park located next to the Great Wall. You will follow a meandering path up a narrow gully by the side of a stream to the top of a watershed.
From the watershed, you will descend steeply to what was the most famous waterfall in Beijing county. Passing the Heavenly Gateway, a huge natural arch appears high in the cliffs above you, the remains of what was once a waterfall which has now dried out due to climate change.
Day 6: Gubeikou Gateway
The day starts with a drive to a village where your trek begins. There used to be three passageways between Northeast China, the Mongolian Highlands, Beijing and the central plains. These were Shanhai Pass, Juyong Pass and Gubeikou Gateway, the latter lying between the two passes and being located in today's Miyun County, northeast of the city of Beijing.
Gubeikou was the site of incessant warfare and was heavily guarded by the armies of various dynasties from 7th-13th century. Nowadays, the main castle no longer exists and much of the Wall has collapsed. The great variety of defence structures here are good examples for studying the architecture of the Great Wall.
Day 7: Jinshanling Loop
After an early breakfast, you will start today’s trek straight from the lodge. The walk from Jinshanling towards Simatai is a spectacular one that is partly on original unreconstructed Wall and partly on renovated sections, with many steep, crumbling staircases and ruined watchtowers along the way. On a clear day you look out over the best part of eighty miles of mountains, with Mongolia on one side and China on the other.
Day 8: Mutianyu Section
The reconstructed section of the Mutianyu Great Wall is where visiting heads of state are usually brought. Today will commence with a steep but paved walk up through lush woodland to join the Wall. From here the trek will follow this spectacular section where the original battlements and drainage systems have been carefully restored.
The highlight of the day is the steep ascent up the Heavenly Stairway to a high viewing platform; this is perhaps the hardest ascent you will complete all week.
On a clear day the Wall is visible on the mountains all around, a fitting end to your trekking challenge. After lunch, you will visit a silk factory before arriving at your hotel in downtown Beijing.
Day 9
A free day in Beijing. A chance to relax or take an optional excursion, before our celebration gala dinner in the evening.
Day 10
Afternoon flight back to London Heathrow.
N.B. The itinerary is there as a guide and may change due to unusual weather patterns, the strength of the group and so on. We will do our very best to keep to the set itinerary however we cannot be held responsible for any last minute changes that might occur. In all such circumstances, your expedition leader will have the final say.
Fundraising
Reaching your fundraising target can be a challenge, but don’t worry as we have some useful tips to help you plan and coordinate your fundraising.
Check out our seasonal fundraising ideas to ensure that your fundraising is fresh and on trend.
Social networks
Remember, it’s your network of friends, family, colleagues and contacts who will support you with your training and fundraising. Keep them updated every step of the way with your Facebook profile, blog or Twitter account.
Tell them how your training is going (with pictures for added impact) and let them know how you’re getting on with your fundraising target. You can even upload pictures on the day to show everyone your progress along the route! If you follow Breast Cancer Care on Facebook and Twitter, we’ll keep you up to date with the goings-on here, and keep you on track with support and tips.
Fundraising materials
Download your very own fundraising planner to follow to ensure that your fundraising activities run as smoothly as possible.
Use this downloadable poster to promote your fundraising events.
Online fundraising
Now you can raise sponsorship without all the hassle. No more dealing with cash and cheques, no more chasing friends after the event. Simply create a free, online fundraising page, personalise it with a photo and message, and email it to your friends, family and work colleagues. They can donate quickly and securely online with a credit or debit card. Online donations from UK taxpayers are worth almost a third more to us with Gift Aid, which can be claimed on online donations. Follow the instructions to set up your unique JustGiving page.
Once you’ve created your page, email the link to friends, family, colleagues and classmates. You can even add the JustGiving application to your Facebook page to make it even easier for your friends to donate.
For more information or help setting up your page, visit www.justgiving.com or call the Justgiving helpdesk on 0845 021 2110.
Please note: Justgiving money will only be attributed to the person who set up the Justgiving page, so please do not set up joint pages as we are unable to share the money between several people.
How do I pay in my sponsorship?
There are few ways in which your sponsorship money will reach us:
JustGiving
If you have decided to create a Justgiving fundraising page, then you do not need to do anything as all your sponsorship money will automatically be sent directly to our bank account. Please note that it can take up to four weeks to show up on your fundraising record at Breast Cancer Care.
Cheque
Please send all cheques to the address below:
Breast Cancer Care Events
5 – 13 Great Suffolk Street
London
SE1 0NS
Don’t forget to write your name, Breast Cancer Care number and event name on the back of your cheques.
Online
You can also pay money in directly on the Breast Cancer Care website. If you use our online paying in function then please remember to send us your sponsorship forms so that we can claim Gift Aid.
Enclosed in your event handbook pack, which you will receive when you register for your event, will be your pay-in forms. You can send them to us along with your sponsorship money and sponsorship forms. Please do not send cash in the post.
Once you join Team Breast Cancer Care we will provide you with further fundraising tips and ideas!
By phone
If you want to pay in sponsorship money over the phone, you can call 0845 092 0817 Monday to Friday 9am–5pm. You will need quote your Breast Cancer Care ID number which will be sent to you in your registration pack.
Training tips
Training is essential to your challenge preparation. The more you put in, the more enjoyable your experience will be! We have designed a training plan to help you on your way.
Before you start, remember that your body may need time to adjust to your new fitness regime. We recommend that you ideally start your training plan no less than six months before you start your challenge. Within your training programme, rest is as important as time spent on your feet. We strongly recommend that you rest on at least one day out of seven. When training, make sure your stick within the limits of speed and distance that are comfortable for you.
If you live near hills, use them for your training as much as possible to prepare your muscles for doing lots of upward walking. If you don’t have any hills near you, use the incline setting on a treadmill or visit hilly places for your weekend walks to practice.
Top tips for training
To ensure that you are comfortable when walking long distances, you must pay attention to your posture and gait. Walk correctly, and at the end of the day's walk you will have sturdy, albeit tired legs, ready for the following day.
- Stand tall and keep your head up.
- Take a natural stride length walk with poles.
- Keep your back straight when coming downhill.
- Shorten your stride when walking uphill.
- Keep your elbows close to your body.
- Integrate aerobic exercise – try spinning, swimming and jogging.
- Wear your walking boots and socks as much as possible, to ensure you are comfortable on the trek.
If you have not exercised for a long time we recommend your see your doctor before you start your new training plan. Don’t overdo it and make sure you keep your plan varied and fun!
The training plan includes information on diet and keeping hydrated both during your training and while on your trek. It also contains important information about trekking at high altitudes.
FAQs
Questions
How do I register for this event?
Where do we stay?
What will the weather be like?
How fit do I have to be?
How do I cancel my place?
Why do I need insurance?
Do I need inoculations?
Do I need a visa?
What will the trekking be like?
What happens to my belongings when I am trekking?
What will the weather be like when we go?
How much sponsorship money do I need to raise?
Further questions
Answers
How do I register for this event?
To register for Trek China you need to complete and send back this booking form.
You will be staying in lodges throughout this challenge. They are basic but comfortable and come with en-suite bathrooms. Rooms are twin or triple share. In Beijing at the end of the trek you'll be staying in a 3* hotel near Tiananmen Square.
What will the weather be like?
Early mornings will immediately warm-up as soon as the sun rises, and the days will be warm and bright. As soon as the sun sets, the temperature drops radically and is often well below zero degrees. On the mountain, you will be trekking in very clear air and will need strong UV protection.
Normally, January and February are the driest and clearest months to climb. June through to the end of October and December are also good but you should expect a little more cloud around the rainforest zone. Whenever you climb, expect convection to send warm air from the hot plains below across the rain forest to precipitate at higher altitudes as rain, sleet, and snow.
This trek suits people of average fitness. You will be trekking over tough terrain for six to eight hours a day for six days. To achieve the recommended level of fitness we advise you start training as soon as you sign up. When you register we will send you a training guide to help get you started. The fitter you are, the more confident you will be and the more you will enjoy each day.
Our treks are not a race; everyone is encouraged to go at their own pace and the level of fitness will naturally vary throughout the group. Everyone finishes each day’s trekking together as a group. This is dependent on the pace of the slowest person.
If you need to cancel your place on your overseas challenge, please contact the challenges team immediately on 0845 092 0805 or email challenges@breastcancercare.org.uk. This is particularly important if you are cancelling within 10 weeks of departure as cancellation costs will be accrued during this period. It is essential that you advise us that you will not be taking part as soon as you can, otherwise the charity risks spending money on your place and we will ask you to reimburse us for any lost costs.
In the unfortunate event that you needed to cancel your place, depending on your reason for cancelling you will be able to claim the costs of your challenge back. If you did not have any travel insurance in place, but did have to withdraw you will be required to reimburse Breast Cancer Care any lost costs, as laid out in the terms and conditions you signed, which were on the reverse of your trek registration form. Please also note that you will not be able to travel the tour operator does not have a copy of your valid travel insurance policy.
We will send you a list of suggested vaccinations, but we recommend you check your own vaccination requirements with your GP or travel clinic.
It is your responsibility to apply for visa(s) if needed. Currently visas are required for those travelling to China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Cuba. We will send you details of how to apply when you register. Each visa is at a cost to yourself and cannot be paid for with sponsorship money.
What will the trekking be like?
The trek will take us over terrain that varies from day to day and from morning to afternoon. We will see some of China’s most breathtaking scenery as we walk on and off the Great Wall of China, past remote villages and farmlands and to a region rarely visited by tourists.
The wall follows natural undulating contours over the hills and mountains of this beautiful country. At times the wall is steep as we climb up to its watchtowers, over steps and loose stones, before we go back down the other side. We also spend afternoons trekking up and down forested pathways and along flat open road tracks. This means that no two days are the same and you do need to be able to adapt to the differing conditions underfoot.
What happens to my belongings when I am trekking?
Your main luggage will be transported for you each day. All you will need to carry is a small day pack with your essentials, for example, water, sun screen, sun hat, energy snacks, camera, fleece, waterproof, etc.
What will the weather be like when we go?
We expect the weather to be warm during the day with temperatures ranging from 18°C to 25°C. In the evenings it will feel cold, so you will need to bring some warm clothes. It has been known to rain, so do also bring wet-weather gear.
How much sponsorship money do I need to raise?
For more information on the amount of sponsorship money you need to raise, see the 'About' tab.
If you have any further questions then please get in touch with us. Call 0845 092 0805 or email challenges@breastcancercare.org.uk
Gallery
Charity Challenge, ATOL 6546 
