With the first steps along the Great Wall in the Gobi desert, a 21 year old dream had come to life. I didn't know how long time it would take to complete it. All I knew was that I had taken all the necessary steps to start living the adventure!
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The Gobi desert is enormous, as is the Great Wall winding its way through the sandy inhospitable landscape. On longest stretch without people I hauled ten liters of drink, and three kilo's food to be sure to make it...
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These tombs are from the Xixia dynasty that Genghis Khan personally led an army to destroy 1226 . All known written history was destroyed, and every soul in the capital killed. Only lately have we started learning about the Xixia people.
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The combination of cold weather, little food and water often led to exhaustion and at times dangerous situations.
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When the nighttime temperatures dropped below -25C / -13F, I would seek refuge inside. As I was carrying all equipment on my back, that was the lowest temperature I could endure.
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The Hebei and Beijing areas are very mountainous. Some days I would only walk 5 km per day. Some sections were left out altogether as they were too dangerous.
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Temperatures rose up to 45C / 113F the summer of 2010. The heat was crippling, and I could spend up to 3-4 hours resting under trees in the middle of the day. Every evening in the tent, I would stay awake to cool down before being able to sleep.
Read moreI wish you all a very happy Rabbit New Year. According to tradition, one should make it a goal to create a safe, peaceful lifestyle, so you will be able to calmly deal with any problem that may arise. That sounds perfect to me now that the walk along the […]
After having sorted out a lot of practical matters, I now have a very nice place to live (Many thanks Øystein!) and a monster computer that I will be using for writing the book and creating a presentation about the walk. Can’t wait to get started. As I re-discover pictures […]
I have done this walk to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Because of technical difficulties, we have not been able to invite you to make a donation before now. If you have enjoyed following me on my lonesome walk along the entire Great Wall of China, please help […]
Now that the dust has settled after the New Year celebrations and people are going back to work, I am also getting ready for the next and probably final chapter of my adventure. In the coming weeks and months, I will be writing a book and creating a presentation about […]
Since I got back from China I have noticed two things. Time flies, and I have had to use some time to get acquainted with life in Norway. A week ago, I visited some good friends to the south of Oslo, and we spent an afternoon on a typical Norwegian […]
I’ve been back in Oslo for two weeks already. It is starting to sink in that I am not walking the Great Wall of China anymore. It is definitely going to take some time to get used to life here, as is the transition from solitude to a social life. […]
Walking the Great Wall of China would have been near to impossible if it had not been for all the help I received along the way from Chinese people. I know that in years to come when I look back on the experience, it will be the kind and helpful […]
After a flight via London, I arrived in Oslo late last night. A bunch of friends, family and girlfriend turned up at the airport which was very nice. Felt so strange, but really really good to be back home in one piece. Another bunch of friends and colleagues were waiting […]
China just doesn’t want me to leave… The staff at Finnair have been inspired by their Spanish counterparts and are on strike. My flight is cancelled, and I will be flying BA via London instead. Now arriving 20.10 at Gardermoen so the get together will be postponed by an hour. […]
Yesterday, I reached North-Korea 600 days after I took the first steps in the Gobi Desert. The last couple of kilometres I was followed by a TV crew and two photographers. It was, at times, a little hard taking in what was going on as they were taking pictures, asking […]