By SUSAN TRIMBLE

A fun climb.

Six thousand kilometers! 10,000 li! 3000 years old! The only man-made structure that can be seen from the moon! The bricks alone would build four Egyptian pyramids! Wide enough for four horses abreast! You are not a man until you've been to the Wall! We have all heard at least one of these claims.

Few physical traces are left of the several dozen "walls" constructed by various dynasties over the past 29 centuries. But legends, poetry and other records have passed through centuries and generations leaving a fairly accurate account of China's history, especially her borders, neighboring states, battles and way of life. Built over time by different dynasties, the Great Wall encouraged the migration of people from east to west and north to south, and enhanced the development of trade by creating safe, secure and unthreatened areas for people to live in as they developed the Silk Road to become the backbone of trade between China and the western world.

The Wall that we hear about today is a dream destination for thousands of armchair travelers, and a real one for only a lucky few. For the most part it is Ming Dynasty wall and is, therefore, about 650 years old. This is the Wall that my husband and I spend most weekends exploring.

Giant steps.

My husband, Bill used to be an army officer. He grew up in a military family and attended a prestigious military college. The study of military strategy was part of his life. Having honed his analytical skills over many years, his interest in his surroundings has remained strong and keen. He is not satisfied to be merely an observer. Happiest when he is searching, analyzing and strategizing, he is a modern explorer. Because of him and along with him, I have visited hundreds of ancient sections of the Wall, from the Han dynasty Jade Gate in the west to the Bohai Sea in the east.

Up we are at 5:30 am packing a lunch, grabbing our cameras, scads of film, sunglasses, sunscreen, recorders, measuring tapes, alternative clothing...don't forget the binoculars and the bird and flower book! Into our jeep and off we go while the rest of the world happily sleeps in!

After a quiet drive through beautiful countryside to the mountains west, north, and east of Beijing, we invariably find a narrow dirt road that eventually leads to a gorge, valley, or often to a tiny village from where narrow paths lead up mountainsides or towards a water source. More often than not we choose one that takes us to a magic place where suddenly, around a bend or through an opening in the leafy trees that shade us, we catch a glimpse of the magnificent Great Wall.

With cameras ever ready, our walking pace is now regulated, and as if we are "assaulting Everest", we plan our climb. Red-faced and panting, it's hard for me to keep up. I'm relieved to stop regularly for "photo-ops", to examine varieties of wildflowers, remove imaginary thorns from my fingers, and just to delight in the new vistas unfolding with my every step. On and on we climb and walk, sometimes scrambling over sections of broken wall, slipping on crumbling stairs, and braving precarious rocky paths on the sides of cliffs. We have forgotten the day's sleepy beginning, when we last ate, our ages, and where we left our hats, we have almost forgotten our very selves. We revel in the serenity, the unbelievable silence, the smell of ancient history, and the awesome, indescribable beauty of this true wonder of the world! Our goal is always "Just a few more towers". Do we reach it? Always and never!

Forever, I hope there is a next weekend.

Four-eyed towers. The Great Wall has become a symbol of the "indestructible spirit of the Chinese people". You can feel that spirit grow within yourself as you explore and become hooked on the Wall! Normal tourist routes to visit the Great Wall near Beijing should never be ignored. The beauty of Badaling, Mutianyu, Huanghuacheng, Huangyaguan, Gubeikou and Simatai are not to be missed. Each is perfect in a different way. Each offers walking and climbing for the cautious hiker as well as the fearless climber. These locations are familiar to travel companies and out-of-city taxi drivers, and are all accessible for a single-day excursion. The Wall in these areas is, for the most part, in safe enough repair for pedestrian traffic. The Wall is a world heritage site and thus, some parts are restored and some are not, making it an interesting outing for casual travelers wanting "just a taste of Wall", or for those who are hoping for a "more intense experience with the Wall". If you want more than that, you will have to seek out a Wall enthusiast to accompany you to one of their out-of-the-way secret places. But I warn you - you might very well become hooked!