A city girl all my life, the thought of hiking never interested me; I'd rather spend my Saturdays and Sundays going to boozy brunch parties. Although, I loved long walks in the park or a run along the west side highway, being out in the woods was not my foray. The closest I've gotten to be one with nature is the smell of tall pine trees during my winter snowboarding trips.
Well, did things changed when I got to Korea?!?!
Although Seoul is a big city, it is surrounded by mountains; the country itself is very mountainous.
Hiking is a favorite pastime for many locals, and hiking wear is very fashionable amongst the older generations. Walking the streets on any given day, you will encounter more than a handful of people wearing hiking pants, boots, shirts, and jackets. The whole get up!
Of course, I couldn't get into the fashion trend, but I got into the hiking! And WOW!
So far, I've climbed the three tallest mountains in Korea! A bit of an accomplishment for a city girl! <wink wink>
Seoraksan National Park is known as the "Big Mountain, " and it lives up to the name. It is the third tallest mountain in Korea, but it is the hardest hike of them all. My first hike was on this mountain.
We went the 3rd weekend of October to see the fall foliage. We started around 3 am to catch the sunrise at the peak of the mountain but missed it because of many people on the trail. Between September to November expect bumper to bumper body traffic. Everyone is thinking the same thing, to see the beautiful Fall colors. Overall, the hike up was a slow and steady trek. The upward incline was a bit steep, and there were parts where we needed help from other hikers. The hike to the main peak, Daecheongbong, took us about 5 hours.
We were a bit disappointed because we didn't see much on our way up, it was still dark. Once we got to the peak, however, it was nice to see the open space, valleys, and mountain ranges, but most of the landscape were shrubs, trees, and rocks, not much of a fall foliage.
The hike down took us about 9 hours, and it was a bit frightening at times, because of the gravel and loose rocks at the top of the mountain. Many parts have man-made steps and trails, but it was still difficult for us. The downward incline was very hard on the knees. I would highly suggest getting good hiking sticks and boots. We were not prepared for the hike, some of my friends wore fashionable sneakers, and we didn't bring enough snacks or beverages. We thought, there would be a trail that would be a lot easier but once you're on the Daecheonbong trail, it's hard to get onto an easier trail.
Although, we were exhausted the trek down was the highlight of the whole trip. The first three hours is the hardest because there are many steep areas with loose rocks, so you have to watch each step, but as you make your way down, the scenery is breathtaking. I've never witnessed such beauty in a landscape that I did on this day. The colorful trees, the shapes of the mountain, the mystical waterfalls, the sound of birds, and the crisp air filling my lungs~ I felt like I was in a fairytale story.
Overall, the entire hike took us approximately 14 hours and at the time we were exhausted and cranky but looking back; it was one of the best hikes ever!
If you're not a hiker, there are other options to check out this beautiful mountain such as hiking one of the less rigorous trails or taking the cable car.
Hallasan National Park is the tallest mountain in South Korea. It is located in the center of Jeju Island. The best period to hike the mountain is from December to March because it’s supposed to be a Winter Wonderland. The longest course is about 10km, and it is easy to hike, unlike Seoraksan Mountain.
My friends and I wanted to see what all the chitter-chatter was about going to Hallasan during the winter months, so we booked a flight for the first weekend of December. We flew out of Seoul on a Friday night and came back Sunday night. We stayed at a hostel called Lyndon, located in the center of the city and it was very convenient to get to and from the airport and is near all transportations. The hostel was very clean, and we got a private room with our own bathroom. The staff spoke English, so communication for any inquiries was very easy. They loaned us clamps for our boots with a 10,000 KRW deposit which we got back when we returned the clamps. Unfortunately, they did not have hiking sticks to rent, but I called beforehand to find out, so I borrowed mine from a Korean friend and took them on the plane with me. If you're flying domestic, the airlines allow you to carry it on the plane.
Around the hostel are back streets with lots of restaurants that serve the five-layer pork belly called, "오겹살 (pronounced o-gyeop-sal)." Also, there are a few places that serve the famous black pork called, "Heuk-Dwaeji." There are other cuisines, such as a burger joint, seafood, etc. When you walk along the side streets, you can see a lot of pictures and a menu for each restaurant.
We woke up at 5 am to catch a 6am-ish bus, which took us to the beginning of the Seongpanak trail. The bus runs every 1/2 an hour and takes about 30 to 40 minutes. The fare was approximately 1,500 KRW, and the hostel gave us the location of the bus stop and number (easy 5-minute walk).
At the beginning of the Seongpanak trail, there is a lodge where you can purchase water, some snacks, use the toilet, and get some information about the weather conditions, etc. We ended up getting cookies, fruits, and nuts the night before at a local mart near the hostel. It’s definitely worth stocking up! Halfway to the summit, there is a lodge that sells ramen, energy drinks, etc. But the line was too long, and the lodge was super crowded, with people trying to seek a little shelter from the outside cold.
The hike going up is breathtaking! I'm an avid snowboarder, so I've seen snow-covered mountain ranges, but hiking a mountain and seeing the different shapes of icicles hanging from branches, and the black crows resting against the white winter snow were picturesque. If we looked beyond the horizon, we saw chunks of massive ice floating on the ocean bed, and the clouds were creeping across the sky, preventing the sun from shining through to give way to some warmth.
The last leg of the hike is a bit steep and scary. There are ropes to hold onto while making your trek over some rocks that are covered with ice and snow. Once at the peak, the view was spectacular. Everything is ice and covered in snow! The volcanic crater looks so peaceful. The mountain ranges are perfectly uniformed, and the snow is set so evenly, it makes the North Pole look dull.
The hike was truly an amazing experience. It was my first time to hike a mountain during the winter. There were spots that were deep with fresh snow, but it made the experience so much better. If you're thinking of climbing Hallasan, I highly recommend doing it in the winter, and the hike was relatively easy for me. I am an active person, and this was the 2nd hike in my life.
Please note: dress warmly even if you end up peeling layers off. Also, clamps are a must!
Jirisan National Park is south of Seoul and northwest of Busan. It is the 2nd tallest and known as the "feminine mountain." For this hike, I went with WinK tour. We left from Seoul, picking up people from different location points in Korea. The drive took about 5 hours, the ride wasn't bad, and I slept most of the way there.
The bus dropped us off at Seongsamjae parking lot, the walk from here to Nogodan Peak took us about an hour and a half. The beginning trails are paved, and there are man-made stairs as well as rock steps.
The first leg of our hike, it was pure darkness. Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so we didn't see any stars nor did the moonlight the walkway. We used our headlamps to show us the way. About an hour up, we started to see colors behind the mountain peak.
The sun was starting to wake up. We tried to hustle, getting quicker with each step. The sky started to open up. On my right, there were hues of pink and violet in the sky.
On my left, there was a cool cloud formation over the mountain range, and as I got closer to the top, I saw a small, circular shape peeking out in the horizon with the most wonderful bright yellow, orange and red colors. It was one of the best sunrises, by far.
After watching the sunrise, we started to make our trek down. It took us about 4.5 hours. The Nogodan trail is one of the easiest hikes and is favored by many people because it is less strenuous. The way down is fairly easy; there is a mix of paved, unpaved, stairs, rocks and a couple of bridges on this trail.
There was still a lot of fall foliage, which gave way to bright red, yellow, orange scenery. While hiking down, we could still saw a sea of clouds rolling over the mountains.
Further down, there were many beautiful rock formations, water flowing through crevices, old bridges that connect one side to another side ~ it felt like a scene from a movie.
There are many trails at Jirisan National Park, the longest course is about 45 km long, which is the whole ridge (Hwa-Eomsa to Daewonsa), and it takes about two days, so camping is a must!
The tour group does the Nogodan Peak because the sunrise is supposed to be one of the most breathtaking views in Korea. If you're looking to do more of a rigorous hike, there are two other courses that connect to Nogodan Peak. Otherwise, most of the trails go to different peaks. Here is a link with maps of the different courses.
My favorite mountain?!?
I can't favor one over the other because all the mountains have different characteristics. If you could do all three, I would highly suggest it. The experience and the views are incredibly different and exhilarating.
Hiking the three biggest mountains was on my BUCKET LIST before leaving Korea! Super happy and proud that I was able to do it. I guess a city girl can become a nature girl after all! ;)
Next, is to hike Mount Kilimanjaro!
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