Chrysta's Chinese adventure

‘More challenging than I could ever have imagined’ and ‘simply breathtaking’

That’s how Village Farm Marquees co-owner Chrysta has described her 75-kilometre trek along China’s Great Wall.

She has just returned from her epic trip, all in aid of raising funds for Alzheimer’s research.

Chrysta was among a group of 44 fundraisers, to complete the challenge, all of whom have been touched in some way by the terrible, degenerative condition which is affecting more and more people in the UK each year.

Everyone in the group knew friends and family members with the condition, and this made the trip doubly poignant, explained Chrysta.

“One of the people I got to know best while I was away, was a chap called Ed,” she said.

“His dad had Alzheimer’s and the sadness of this disease was really brought home to us when, towards the end of our trip, he had to rush home early because his dad had taken a turn for the worst. He got home in time to see him, but his dad died the next day.”

Chrysta herself was walking in memory of her beloved Granddad, Allenby Leslie, who died in 2009 after battling the illness.

“I think this was a very emotional trip for most us taking part,” she added.

“It brought back lots of memories and there were plenty of tears along the way.

“It’s because of my Granddad’s experience of coping with this dreadful disease towards the end of his life, that I wanted to do my bit for such a vital charity.

“Unfortunately, the nature of Alzheimer’s is that it gradually takes away the person someone was and that is heartbreaking both for them and the people they love.”

An experience she will never forget

“When we arrived in the Chinese capital Beijing it was really, really cold and we were taken up to our accommodation, an old fort high up in the surrounding mountains.

“It was dark when we got there so we couldn’t see anything and that night was a real struggle because we were so cold.

“But then there was great excitement the next morning when we woke up and realised the Great Wall was right there in front of us! It was just stunning.”

And then began their gruelling trek, following the wall up and over mountains.

“We did a relatively short walk on the first day to acclimatise, then the following day was full on and we tackled Heaven’s Ladder – 302 narrow, steep steps up the side of a mountain,” said Chrysta.

“The wall is a huge phenomenon, 3,000 kilometres long and the only man-made object visible from space. Our guide told us that one person was killed for every metre of wall during its construction, to keep Genghis Khan and the Mongolians out of China.

“And it’s easy to see why. It is so vast, it’s difficult to even put into words the experience of seeing it. Sitting on top of a mountain, watching it snaking away into the distance, you feel literally on top of the world and it is absolutely stunning, with beautiful views in all directions.”

  Culture shock

“I noticed a vast difference between the city and the countryside – Beijing was buzzing, modern and very clean, whereas going out into the countryside was like stepping back in time, and the people there had a much more old-fashioned approach to life,” continued Chrysta.

“We visited the Forbidden City in Beijing and it was just incredible to imagine what life had been like there during the time of the emperors, with their many concubines and eunuchs charged with bringing in supplies, getting rid of their rubbish and waiting on their every need.

“We didn’t have access to Facebook either, which was a strange experience, given how much of a staple of our daily lives it is in the UK, and made it pretty difficult to communicate with the family back at home while I was away!

“In many ways, this was the hardest challenge I’ve ever done, but it was one of those occasions when I discovered what I can achieve when I really put my mind to it!

“We were walking from 8.30am until 4.30pm every day and it was pretty hard going because we were either climbing straight up or straight down, often on unrestored parts of the wall, so not much of the route was on the flat.

“We stayed in one mountain village and had to literally climb over the mountains to the next village, where we were due to stay the following night.

“The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, the whole experience was very surreal and I almost can’t quite believe I’ve done it.

“There were parts of the route where we were literally walking along the top of a mountain with a sheer drop on either side, and some members of our group found that particularly challenging because they’d had to overcome a fear of heights in order to be there.”

One for the bucket list

“It was the most incredible experience of my life. Having time out in a completely different place like this really makes you stop and think and it’s given me a new perspective on things. I’m so glad to have taken the opportunity to push my limits in this way. Chrysta has raised just under £3,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society so far, with more money flowing in towards the fundraising deadline of beginning of December. Altogether, the 44-strong group have raised raised just under £120,000 and counting.”

Fundraisers Chrysta and the rest of the family have undertaken over the past year have included organising the Skipsea Ukulele Festival, which attracted musicians from all over the country – led by her dad Malcolm.

Personal trainer Katherine Bray – a former Miss Galaxy Universe competitor – helped Chrysta to gear up for her trek, making sure she has enough stamina to go the distance and navigate the difficult terrain on parts of the wall.

Anyone wanting to support Chrysta’s fundraising can do so via her JustGiving page.