As you can see, I’m in for a scorching experience. I will try to walk early and late, and spend the noon hours in the shade. When it is this hot, I drink a lot of fluids. I have to take the heat and distance to the next place into consideration when planning my route along the Great Wall, so I can restock water.

I will be doing some small additions to my equipment from now on too.

• Thin light weight ‘hotel slippers’, so I don’t have to wear the heavy boots in the evenings
• A poncho so I don’t have to pull out the tent every time a thunderstorm passes by
• The charger for my camera batteries so I don’t need to head for base camp to charge them
• Some shorts, so that I can wash my only trousers. I’ve already had a couple of meals without my shirt on, but don’t want to push my luck. I have seen Chinese doing the same as it is very hot now.