Doubts about transport

It is totally possible to go on your own, I did it with two others yesterday, just beware of scammers and the overwhelming pushiness of taxi drivers. Despite all the advice on this page, to take Bus 916, I still got scammed by a bus official at Dongzhimen to take bus 860 (to Miyun) which she will tell you is faster than 916. There her taxi friends boarded the bus to escort two European girls. We stayed on the bus until the terminus in Miyun, from where it then cost us 240 yuan and another hour's ride by taxi to Huiarou and the wall. We followed all the bus directions offered by the information desk there and returned to Beijing on the 916 just before 7pm.

In answer to some of your questions: - The 916 buses are lined up at Dongzhimen (the bus hall is connected to the subway station and the bus easy to find from the signage) and leave literally within minutes of each other. We were on time to take the 10am (but of course got directed to the 860). At least four or five 916 buses were driving alongside us on the highway until they turned off and we carried on further! The traffic was crazy and the trip took us three hours to Miyun, so at least two to Huairou.
On the return - the bus stop is right across the road from the ticket office. Any of the green H buses get you back to Huairou. Get off at YuJiaYuan station, take the 862 from the same stop to the Huairou stop. Turn left after alighting from the bus to the traffic light, cross the road to your left and the Huairou bus terminus which is the start point of the 916 is just down this road on the right. The trip from the wall u to the bus terminus took us just under an hour, we got on the 916 at 18h40. It was already dark, so try to leave the wall before 5pm. The information desk has these instructions on a piece of paper in English and Chinese, but the number of stops is unclear, so you need to ask your fellow travelers or the unhelpful bus conductor.
The shuttle there is a little way up from the ticket office, AFTER you have bought the tickets. You essentially need three tickets if you want to avoid the two walks (one from the ticket office to the base of the mountain (shuttle) and the other from the base to the wall (cable car). 100 yuan for a return cable car, 15 yuan for a return shuttle and 45 yuan for the entrance to the wall.

Lindsay,
Thanks for your answer. I'm sorry to hear about the scam, I was exactly looking for any possible scam on this. Usually anywhere in the world that there are tourist, even first country world, there will scams and we always shd be with heads up to this.

Hi, my husband and I are planning to go to this section of Wall on Nov 10. If you can delay by a day, we can go up together. We will only arrive on Nov 9.... Daisy

Hi.. I am from Malaysia and going there on the 9 nov. I am 2 pax. What about u how many ppl?. Thinking now with so many scams ongoing, better to go in groups. My email is jefrileegmail.com
I am staying bejing near to the Forbidden City on 8,9,10 3 full days.

Hi.. I am from Malaysia too and going to MTY Wall on the 9 nov. I am 2 pax. Probably we can go together with Jefri too? that makes 6 pax! I am also staying at Bejing city centre near to the Forbidden City.

Hi Mr Tomrabelo I'm a 29 year male from the UK and planning to go there on 9 of November, (tomorrow) but like you I have doubts travelling alone as I don't speak any Chinese. I was wondering if you fancied travelling together? I'm located in Beijing at a hostel called Dragon King. Let me know if you are interested.

Sean