I'm in Beijing just after Christmas, looking to visit the great wall (on my first visit to China). One thing the guide books don't give much of a view is how the relative attractiveness of certain wall sections changes in the middle of winter, when I assume there is snow, cold winds and fewer tourists? We don't have a schedule yet so could get to the wall anytime between Sunday to Wednesday.

Any views - we will have various items of clothing to keep us warm but I expect we wouldn't feel too much like a half-day hike in the biting cold We are however young and fit, plus might have a Chinese speaker with us (depends on availability of a friend), if that would make much difference.