I climbed the Great Wall (at Badaling) last November, and it was an awe-inspiring experience. I guess I was expecting to scale a ladder up to some crumbling hilltop. Well, that was not the case! The Great Wall is a magnificent, relatively intact (in many places) structure, and you can hike on it for hours on end. The sense of history is overwhelming, and the scenery is breathtaking. You need to be in fairly good condition to get very far, though, because there are numerous steps and the incline is pretty steep in certain sections. It's best to go on a clear, cool day, and I recommend making an effort to go off-season to avoid the crowds. Definitely worth the effort!
