2015 Hiking Festival: 24km Challenge

Complete a mountain-walking half-marathon on the 24km Challenge in our 2015 hiking festival.

Level 5+
6–7 hours over 24km (Can I do it?)

This hike is not currently scheduled

Contact us for schedule updates or set up a private hike

Trail map for the 24km Challenge
Hike Festival 2015: 24km Challenge.
Hike Festival flyer

Hike country roads and hill trails up past the High Tower, then through valleys and over ridges to Stone Valley Village. A mountain-walking half marathon!

For full information please visit our hiking festival event mini-site at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-festival-2015/, or sign up here!

Registration closes October 9; payment must be made in advance.

Inclusions and cancellation policy

24km Challenge Trail description

Section A
Village to Border Tablet

7.5km / 390m ascent / 49m descent

Warm up the legs with a jaunt along a gravelly country road, passing through little villages on the way up to a table that marks the border of Beijing Municipality and Hebei Province. The village where we begin used to be a barracks for Great Wall-guarding soldiers all the way back in the Ming Dynasty, and parts of the wall and a big archway still remain.

Section B
Border Tablet to the High Tower and down to the carpark

7.5km / 362m ascent / 763m descent

Pick up a few bottles of water at the rest station and then follow flatter dirt trails through the hills before the trail gets seriously steep with a slog up to the High Tower, at 1440m above sea level one of the highest Great Wall beacon towers in Beijing. From the tower, dip down along a rough section of Great Wall before getting onto narrow dirt trails that lead down the north face of the mountain, crossing over onto gravel paths and then out to a concrete road.

Section C
Carpark and around the corner

3.5km / 48m ascent / 160m descent

A concrete road leads out to the nearest village. Take a quick rest break at an intersection and then head for the hills again. Checkpoint: pass the rest station here before the cut-off time, or your hike finishes here.

Section D
By the Hut and over the Great Wall

4km / 241m ascent / 271m descent

Turn off the concrete road and hit the last climb of the day, a valley trail that crosses the Great Wall at a dip in the hills. Then follow a hill trail down the other to a paved path that leads to the valley on the other side of the hill.

Section E
Towards the finish line

0.8km / 21m descent

Stroll on down a concrete road to Stone Valley Village, where your reward awaits. Congratulations!

What's included in the price?

  • Round-trip transportation, departing from and returning to the Agricultural Exhibition Center subway station on Line 10.
  • Certificate of completion, with a special prize for places one through five
  • Trail maintenance prior to the event
  • First aid: ambulance with medical staff and equipment
  • Basic outdoor insurance
  • Rest stops where you can pick up water and a biscuit or two; water is included in the price of the event
  • Post event celebration with snacks and drinks
  • Trail sweeper

What about cancelling?

We can't give a refund for cancellations on or after October 9th. We will refund if you contact us before the 9th.

On the 16th we'll check the weather; if the weather is dangerous we will postpone the event to the next week.

If the event is cancelled on the day for reasons beyond our control, there will be no refunds.

More terms and conditions apply. Read the rest of the guidelines and information on the hike festival mini site.

For full information please visit our hiking festival event mini-site, or sign up here!

Registration closes October 9; payment must be made in advance.

Sponsors

Big thanks to the supporters of this event!


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Win prizes from Ganges Indian Restaurant, Crepanini (courtesy of Scout Real Estate), and more!


COVID-19 and participation precautions

The current precautions are minimal. Please read in full here: Operating hikes under COVID-19 precautions

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Photos and trip reports: 2015 Hiking Festival: 24km Challenge

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