Who needs a gym when China's Great Wall is waiting to be tackled!

``Ice cold water, coke, tea, beer, snickerrrrs.’’

That’s the common catch-cry from hawkers on China’s Great Wall as breathless, sweaty and mostly cashed-up western tourists trek past them along the kilometres of steep stairs that make up this famed wonder of the world.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid hawkers on and around the wall (and on the streets of Beijing too). But we discovered Mutianyu, about 80km north of Beijing, a lesser-known section of the wall, which not only has less hawkers but far less tourists too.

Here, after a 90 minute drive through the countryside with our fabulous English-speaking taxi driver John Ping, we were confronted by the mighty sight of the wall, which snakes up and down the hills for kilometres. Forget bootcamp and bikram yoga -- climbing the wall is a far greater (and sweatier) workout. But more than four hours later we emerged triumphant, having conquered most of the wall, and then haggled for a bargain souvenir t-shirt as proof.

Meanwhile John, our driver (pictured above), spent the hours playing poker against hawkers and other taxi drivers and he headed home with a smile on his face and a wad of cash in his pocket. The 47-year-old, who was born and bred in China and has never had the chance to venture outside his homeland, was also stoked to be able to practice his English on us during the long drive. A good day all round, really.