Chinese Muur (Great Wall) — Jinshanling & Jiankou

While millions of tourists crowd the heavily commercialized Badaling section of the Great Wall of China, true hiking enthusiasts head to the 'Wild Wall.' The Jinshanling and Jiankou sections offer an incredibly authentic, rugged, and physically demanding Great Wall experience. Jinshanling is half-restored and half-wild, offering a stunning 2-day hike featuring more than 15 densely packed, intricately designed watchtowers cascading over the mountainous terrain. For the significant adventure, the unrestored Jiankou section offers knife-edge ridges, steep scrambling up loose bricks, and the distinctive experience of navigating ancient, overgrown ruins. These routes provide the characteristic and quiet Great Wall hike.

Following the historic path used by the Army of the Andes in 1817, this 6-day trans-Andean expedition traverses the central cordillera from Mendoza, Argentina, to the Cajón del Maipo in Chile. The route crosses two significant high-altitude barriers—Portillo Argentino (4,330m) and Paso Piuquenes (4,030m). Hikers move through a high desert landscape of volcanic rock, vast glacial valleys, and the powerful Tunuyán River. The terrain consists primarily of rocky mountain paths, loose scree on the steeper pass approaches, and high-altitude plateaus where exposure to wind and sun is constant.