The Great Wall of China

China was a trip. I could spend many postings recounting my observations from Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai. But let me be absolutely clear about what is most important – I made it to the top of the Great Wall of China!

Some may say, “Big deal.” People who say that are ignorant because they clearly haven’t made the attempt. Some may utter an incredulous or dismissive, “Right.” Those people are ignorant because they think there isn’t a “top” or that if there is a “top” that no 58-year old, out-of-shape, American tourist could get there. On the latter point, they’re almost right.

There are three sections of the Great Wall available for tourists. We went to the section at Badaling. This site appeared to have three subsections available for exploration. Being Americans, we naturally tackled the highest and steepest section, the one with more than 2,000 steps to the top – steps that could range from one to 21 inches in height. That didn’t count the portions that were “step-free” inclines.

I made the trip to China with three colleagues from my company, their spouses, and one couple’s 16-year old son. For about a third of the ascent I stayed with my band of happy trekkers; for the next third I kept them in sight. On the last third, I only knew that they were “up there somewhere.” Every fiber in my body, and particularly those in the muscle in my heart, told me to “Stop, idiot; you’re a 58-year old, out-of-shape, American tourist!”

But a couple of things spurred me on – one of my fellow travelers is almost as out of shape as I am and another is older and has had heart problems. But, when I got passed by a woman (albeit a woman who is in very good shape) from the bus behind ours (i.e., she started well after we did) I decided that I was either going to the top or until I met my group coming down, or until I met my Maker. I didn’t want to delay my group’s descent but I was going to keep going as long as the others, including my Maker, were “up there somewhere”.

My group spent enough time recovering for me to catch up. I climbed up the last watch tower for a summit photo with my work colleagues and down we came, all very pleased with our accomplishment, but none as pleased as me.

The 16-year old in our group knew that I was looking for a special rock from China to take back to a daughter who had requested that I bring her one. Concerned that I might not make it to the summit, this young man climbed up on the roof of the last watch tower, truly the highest place anyone could go on that section of the Great Wall, and collected a rock from the roof to give to me. I was very impressed with that thoughtful gesture and decided that I would keep that small rock for myself, to remind me that I can go farther and higher than I think I can, even when everything in me is yelling, “Enough, already; stop, please!”

A couple of times on that ascent I was fooled by false summits, only to discover that yet another section or two or three was still ahead. But there are no false summits more formidable than those that reside in our own hearts and minds. If we can overcome those false summits we can get to the true peaks where the view is amazing and the feeling of accomplishment makes the pain and the doubt subside. There we can share something special with a few fellow travelers who also decided that the top had to be “up there somewhere” and that that is where they would stop.