Jiankou ‘Big West’ Great Wall, 2015/02/11

30+ photos from a cold day out on the Great Wall on the west side of Jiankou.

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The Great Wall on the west side of Jiankou is quite a mixture—some of it totally collapsed and rough, and some of it in excellent condition despite going more than four hundred years without any repairs.

The views from up on top of the wall here are also excellent, as there’s a great deal of wall within sight in the surrounding mountains.

On this visit we took the long way up, hiking through forest to reach the wall at a low point.

The photos below start off in forest, and then take you over the rough sections on to the solid wall at the end of the trail.

Starting off on the hike - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Starting off on the hike.

Hiking through forest - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Hiking through forest.

The Great Wall comes into sight, way up on a ridge - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

The Great Wall comes into sight, way up on a ridge.

We continued up through the forest - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

We continued up through the forest.

The forest gets thicker - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

The forest gets thicker.

We've reached the Great Wall, at the base of a ruined tower - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

We've reached the Great Wall, at the base of a ruined tower.

Hiking on the ruined remains of the Great Wall - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Hiking on the ruined remains of the Great Wall.

We hiked by the foundation of a tower - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

We hiked by the foundation of a tower.

Skirting the foundation, with a tower on a cliff in the background - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Skirting the foundation, with a tower on a cliff in the background.

A steep trail beside the wall - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

A steep trail beside the wall.

This part of the hike was on a line of wall that is mostly ruined - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

This part of the hike was on a line of wall that is mostly ruined.

Views of mountains - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Views of mountains.

A steep and tricky section - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

A steep and tricky section.

Ruined towers high in the hills - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Ruined towers high in the hills.

Looking back along the trail, with Nine-Eyes Tower just visible at the top of the hill - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Looking back along the trail, with Nine-Eyes Tower just visible at the top of the hill.

A narrow line of ruined wall covered by forest - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

A narrow line of ruined wall covered by forest.

Getting on to the part of the wall that's in better condition - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Getting on to the part of the wall that's in better condition.

Taking a break - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Taking a break.

Good views here - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Good views here.

We hiked on, on top of the Great Wall - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

We hiked on, on top of the Great Wall.

This part of the wall is topped with trees - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

This part of the wall is topped with trees.

Going through a tower - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Going through a tower.

Looking back again - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Looking back again.

We continued along the wall - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

We continued along the wall.

Good view of the curves in the wall here - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Good view of the curves in the wall here.

Looking towards the 'Chinese Knot' part of the wall at Jiankou - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Looking towards the 'Chinese Knot' part of the wall at Jiankou.

We came through the remains of a tower - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

We came through the remains of a tower.

Here's a tricky bit - we had to come down this bit - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Here's a tricky bit - we had to come down this bit.

On top of a tower - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

On top of a tower.

Looking out the windows - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Looking out the windows.

Pretty steep here1 - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Pretty steep here1

Looking up at the Chinese Knot - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Looking up at the Chinese Knot.

Short break before continuing - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

Short break before continuing.

And we're off again - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

And we're off again.

The trail down from the wall started by this tower - Jiankou Big West Great Wall, 2015/02/11

The trail down from the wall started by this tower.

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