Missed it in 2004 – my foot hurt enough that I didn’t dare walk the unrestored stretch of wall most of my travel mates were going to (it only turned out later my foot was actually broken!) but in 2005 I did manage to go! I actually managed the whole stretch from Simatai to Jinshanling (only the two ends are restored) in spite of a heavy cold and a sprained foot (the other one!) – a very impressive experience that I’ll never forget.

There are parts of the Great Wall that are like Disneyland (China’s very own brand of tourism) but this is the real deal.