Great Wall Run

Level of Difficulty

The Great Wall Run is graded as “Challenging”. This is the perfect challenge for participants who are of an adventurous spirit and an open mind, but perhaps haven’t taken on a strenuous challenge event previously and are hoping to put themselves out of their comfort zone!

You can tell your supporters that on your Great Wall Run you will be:

• Covering approximately 55km of running over 3 days, and 20km of (fast) trekking over 2.
• On the trekking days you will be continually hiking up and down stairs to the watchtowers
• Battling the heat on exposed sections of the wall. Temperatures can reach the mid 20s.
• Trekking on unrenovated sections of the wall, with crumbling steps, shrubbery and rocks underfoot, and steep stair climbs.
• Taking on sections at height with drops at either side.
• Staying in basic lodges each night.

Money

Currency: The currency in China is the Yuan ¥. For up to date currency exchange, go to www.xe.com. We recommend exchanging currency before you go; however there are ATM’s and currency exchanges available at Beijing airport. You can only convert 100 Yuan notes (around £10 GBP) back in the UK, so make sure that you spend any extra change.

Credit Cards: Cards are not accepted at the lodges along the running route, therefore you should have sufficient currency with you before leaving the airport.

ATMs: You will have no access to ATMs or be able to use cards the days that you will be running but once back in Beijing you are able to withdraw cash if needed at ATMs.

How much to bring: All accommodation and meals are included within the price of the trip, as well as water during the days of your run. You will not need to carry a lot of money with you during the challenge, but as there are daily opportunities to buy soft drinks, alcohol and snacks we would suggest a maximum amount of about £15 a day (in Yuan). Bring more if you intend to buy souvenirs and take up the opportunity of the additional tours offered by the guides. You may have the opportunity of visiting an acrobat show (around £20) and enjoying a relaxing post-run massage (about £25) on your return to Beijing at the end of the challenge, as well as souvenir shopping and visiting silk or jade factories. There are plenty of great souvenirs in China so do keep that in mind!

Tipping: Tipping is at your sole discretion and all staff are paid a fair wage. However, tourism is a tipping culture, and Chinese guides will generally receive a tip at the end of a job well done. If you choose to tip, we would suggest an amount of £35 - £40 per participant for the duration of the challenge (around 400 Yuan). For those on Charity Challenge organised extensions, we would suggest between £5 and £6 per person per day.

Visa

UK Citizens DO require a visa to enter China. You cannot obtain visas upon entry to China. We will supply you with the relevant form and application advice three months prior to departure, and if you would like to start having a look at the information you can visit the Chinese Visa Application website by clicking here. However, you should not apply before 3 months prior to departure due to the validity of the visa.

Vaccinations

For up to date vaccination information please check the NHS ‘Fit for Travel’ website: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx. Although the Charity Challenge team are travel professionals, they are not medical experts and we would encourage you to visit your GP or travel nurse to discuss vaccination requirements. Your GP may ask questions about the specific locations that you are visiting in China, and as such it may be useful to take a copy of your itinerary with you.

Flights

You will be flying from London Heathrow to Beijing. The flying time is approx. 9-10 hours if flying non-stop or 14-16 hours if indirect. Your flight tickets will be issued to you upon departure at the airport.  If you choose to book your own flights please confirm with the Charity Challenge office first, otherwise you may be liable for your included group flights (please contact flights@charitychallenge.com for further assistance). For more general flights questions, please refer to our main FAQs page.

Insurance

It is a condition of booking that you have a suitable travel insurance policy whilst participating on the challenge. We have a special policy which covers among other things, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, cancellation and curtailment of the challenge, and more specifically for the adventurous activities undertaken on this challenge. If you have your own travel insurance policy, you must ensure that it provides at least the same level of cover as our recommended policy, including protecting the charity in the event of your cancellation 56 days or less prior to departure. If you choose not to purchase our recommended policy when you book we will send you a disclaimer which you should complete and return.

For more general travel insurance questions, please refer to our main FAQs page.

Group Size

Each group is intended to be 16 people minimum in order to run and maximum of approx. 30 people. We will be able to run this challenge for 10 to 15 people by charging a small group supplement of £75 which will be added to your final balance invoice (self funders) or charged to your charity (minimum sponsorship or flexi).

Leadership

There will be an English-speaking challenge leader who will be responsible for the logistics and co-ordination of your challenge. There will also be numerous local support staff to assist them. The challenge leader will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.

Climate

China has the same seasons as the UK, but much more pronounced. April and May are the spring months, and as such the trees are blossoming – there are plenty of flowers around, which may affect hayfever sufferers. In September/October, the trees are losing their leaves and the mountains are surrounded by vibrant oranges and russet colours. Both seasons are incredibly beautiful. April/October will generally be cooler than May/September, although in all months you may experience wind chill up on the high points, and heat in the valleys. The nightly temperatures will be cool, particularly in April/October, and temperatures may drop to 8-10 degrees C. Warm layers will be necessary for the evening, but in the day you can expect to reach temperatures of around 20 degrees in early April/late October, and around 28 degrees in late May/early September.
Just like the UK, the weather is changeable, and these are rough guidelines.

Terrain

The terrain for your running challenge is almost entirely on roads, many of which are mountain roads that wind up through the mountainous region to the north of Beijing. You should certainly train for running up hills, and expect to be running on tarmac the entire way. On the days of your 'fast walking' on the Wall, the ground is very uneven, there are thousands of steps to undertake and some sections may be completely unrenovated with stones and bricks missing. You certainly won't be able to run on these parts, although a fast walk/light jog with your leader will be fine, and very challenging!

Luggage Allowance and Valuables

The luggage allowance will depend on the airline we are using for your challenge, but in general it will be one piece of checked baggage at around 23kg. However, we suggest that for our Great Wall Run challenge you should only need around 15kg-17kg. If you don’t need it, don’t bring it, is a good rule. For any valuables, safe deposit boxes are usually provided in Beijing for guests’ use in the hotels, but will not be available in the local lodges. Use a padlock on your luggage when in transit to reduce any risks. Carry your passport with you and make sure you have a photocopy of your documents (travel insurance etc.) in case they get lost or damaged.

Responsible Tourism

At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism, and work closely with bodies such as the International Porter Protection Group and Climate Care to ensure that our challenges benefit the local environments and communities in which they take place. We ensure that all rubbish is disposed of responsibly, and following local guidelines on cultural and environmental protection and respect, we aim to limit our impact on the natural environment. In addition to taking these practical steps to ensure that our challenges are sustainable, we also make a contribution each year to a number of local community projects, so as to give something back directly to the communities that we visit. Since 2000 we have donated almost £200,000 to such projects, supporting a range of initiatives, including schooling for children in Africa, shelter for street children in Brazil, and Orang-utan conservation in Indonesia. We recommend that any gifts brought over for children are given to the UK challenge leader and distributed where needed by them and our local Ground Agent. If you wish to do more, you should consider buying drinks, postcards and souvenirs from the local vendors. For many, it is their sole source of income. For more information, please visit our Responsible Tourism pages, where you will be able to view a list of the projects that we currently support.

Typical Day

You will wake at around 7am, pack up your bag and go to the hotel dining room for your breakfast. You will be given enough water for the day and you will put your main bags onto the coach to be transported to the next destination. Depending on the itinerary for the day, you will either be transferred to the start point of your run, or run strait out of the hotel. On the running days, you will have a late lunch after the run has ended, so you should bring some energy gels or snacks to keep you going. On the fast walking days, you will eat on the Wall itself in a scenic spot. You will head back to your accommodation in the late afternoon for your dinner, a briefing and overnight. Specific hours of activity for each day are given in the itinerary.

Accommodation

On the run you will be staying in basic, but adequate, lodges or hotels. It may not be up to the standard expected in Western hotels, but you should have clean linen and hot water – everything you need! In the colder months of early April and late October, we recommend taking a sleeping bag for anyone who feels the cold in the night. Blankets are provided in the lodges, but a sleeping bag will increase your comfort. The hotels in Beijing will be of a three star standard and much more comfortable. All rooms are en-suite and have facilities for charging batteries. If you are travelling with a friend or partner who you wish to share with please ensure that you note this where appropriate when booking or email challenges@charitychallenge.com.

Food & Drink

Food is basic but filling. In recent years, breakfast has become more westernised, with eggs, tomato and cucumber, as well as cooked meats. Lunch will usually be a sandwich along with nuts, snacks and fruit. Dinner will consist of Chinese dishes and of course rice or noodles. There will, of course, be vegetarian options provided, although the choice is more limited. It is important that you eat as much as possible during the running phase in order to replace body salts lost due to increased perspiration. All participants but especially those with personal eating restrictions should bring snacks to supplement their meals. You may also wish to bring additional treats like marmite, peanut butter etc. as you will be eating Chinese food everyday – this can become monotonous for even the most adventurous eater!! The tap-water is not safe to drink. Bottled water will be provided during the running sections, and you can buy bottled water or soft drinks in hotels and lodges for meals (around 5 Yuan, or 50p). Please let Charity Challenge know prior to departure if you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies.

Clothing & Equipment

Good quality, durable kit could mean the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For your running challenge, comfortable trainers and wicking tshirts are essential, as well as a lightweight waterproof jacket. We recommend taking a combination of long and short-sleeved tshirts so that you can vary them depending on the erratic weather. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here, and once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners The Outdoor Shop, Outdoorhire and Cotswold Outdoor.

Toilets

There will be en-suite toilet and washing facilities at the hotels and lodges; however, depending on the season hot water may be limited in some of the rural accommodation. On the run, your toilet stops will be limited to restaurants and cafes that you pass on route, or 'the great outdoors'!

Phone & WiFi

Most of the accommodation you are in will have limited WiFi which you will be able to use, but please do not rely upon this. Facebook and any Google-based applications (including Gmail) are blocked in China, so you will not have access to these sites or be able to post updates for your friends and family. You will have phone signal in almost all places on the challenge.

Safety

Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount!

In terms of your Great Wall Cycle challenge, there are a couple of important points that you should be aware of:

• The sun may be strong in early October, so remember to bring a cap and sun cream, and hydrate constantly!
• You will be running on roads that are used by cars. Ensure that you stay to the side of the road and run in single file particularly around bends or where you cannot get a clear view in front of you.
• Smoke alarms are not a legal requirement in China, and as such many of the lodges we use do not have them in place. Your leader will explain the emergency fire procedures to you.

Emergencies

The event is NOT run as a race, and any speedy members of the group will be asked to run together at the speed of the group. There will be a staff member at the back of the group at all times to ensure that you are not left behind and can take things at your own pace. In the event of an emergency all guides and leaders are maintaining contact via radio, and the backup vehicle will be following the group at all times.

Training

Training and fitness is definitely required. It is important that you work specifically on your stamina, core and leg strength in order to get the most out of the challenge. You will be running on the hills around the Beijing area, and trekking up and down the stairs of the Wall. Try to run as much as possible in the hills around your area, and ensure that you're getting some stair training in where possible.

For more information about our training weekends click here