I want to know what is the vertical distance that one climbs from the gates of the Badaling wall to the highest point, which I believe is the eighth watch tower. I've tried to find this information, without success. It's not so much the distance you walk that makes the Wall a challenge, it is the vertical rise. I've walked trails in Canada, in the winter, that had 1000 ft rises and it took a lot of effort.

We climbed the wall at Badaling on May 31, 2009. It stands out as the high point of our visit to China.