Action Asia Magazine - Korea's Holy Trinity
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Transcript of Action Asia Magazine - Korea's Holy Trinity
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Mountains are a fundmental part of both the physicallandscape and the cultural fabric here, making hiking anideal way to connect with the country and its people
Koreasholy trinity
PHOTO:KOREANTOURISMO
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40 South Korea
Story by Michael Fraiman
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Hallasan and Seoraksan each in a
accessible year-round, and each harbo
illuminate aspects o Korean culture.
H A L L A S A N
Jeju natives believe that their ovular s
now colloquially reerred to as the Ko
honeymooners, was created by a gian
said to have created Hallasan out o ne
birth to all the worlds plants and hum
eruption. According to science this is k
the now-dormant volcanic peak o Hal
the pregnant goddess spin is debatable
Hallasan is an oddity. It is simultone o its easiest to climb, depending o
at its top, Baengnokdam (literally Whi
100 mountain spirits enjoy riding wh
two o the ive main routes. hey are
rail, which starts rom the semi-isolat
Seongpanak rail, which is the route
western and southern trails dont reac
ewer tourists and more tranquility.
O n e a ch r o u t e , t h e i r s t 1
kilometres are a breeze, set at a gradu
incline only. Some Koreans jog thi
he middle third is regarded as th
most diicult section or its steep an
crumbling stone steps and slipper
IS A LILEKNOWN FAC HA ROUGHLY 70% OF SOUH
KOREA is mountainous. Dotted with temples, they are the setting or ancient
tales o mountain spirits, known as san shin(sanis Korean or mountain), acritical component o Korean olklore, even today.
Te result is a people whose very creation myth begins on a mountain,
Baekdu, the Korean peninsulas tallest at 2,750 metres, on the border between
North Korea and China. An energy-giving lie-orce is said to low rom
Baekdu down to South Koreas ultimate peninsular peak, Jirisan, coursing
through an uninterrupted series o ridges known as the Baekdudaegan
mountain range: 735 kilometres o continuous slate and rock, the spine o
the peninsula. Tis energy trickles over the ridges and spills into the valleys,
down the wateralls and into the streams that have created and sustained lie
ever since.
It is hard to exaggerate Baekdus importance to the Korean people. North
Korean propaganda boasts that Kim Jong-il was born there in a shower o
golden light. his is alse: he was
born in Soviet Russia, but dont tell
the North Koreans. Even south othe border, pictures o the mountain
are a common sight, despite it lying
hundreds o kilometres away in
another country.
All this is to say that South Koreans care a lot about mountains, and
today the vast majority o citizens are wealthy enough to be able to enjoy
them by visiting the countrys 21 national parks in some orm or other.
In almost every Korean closet hangs a breathable Gore-tex shirt o neon
green or orange, a solid pair o hiking boots and at least one extendable
walking stick. he countrys multi-billion-dollar hiking ashion industry is
so absurdly profitable that V celebrities and amed directors are ensnared
in their ad campaigns. Forget taekwondo: hiking is the nations true national
sport.
It helps that it is all so accessible. No peak in South Korea is higher than
2,000 metres, so none takes longer than a day to summit. Population density
and moderate temperatures mean hiking is consistently accommodating
and sae: some amilies climb together every weekend. You dont need a
guide as maps (and apps) are ofen available and, unless you venture off into
uncharted wilderness, youre unlikely to come across any dangerous wildlie.rails are usually well-marked and every signiicant mountain has a ew
well-stocked shelters where you can sleep and buy ood, water and even gear.
With all that in mind, you are ready to strike out and explore. But
where to start? Te countrys three holiest peaks are also its tallest Jirisan,
42 South Korea
THREES NO CROWD HERE
On the wildly popular tourist island
of Jeju Island, the volcanic peak ofHallasan offers a chance at relative
solitude.
SOUTHKOREA
SeoulJAPAN
NORTH KOREACHINA
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temple that has been home to a priceless collection o Buddhist stone tablets
or 1,500 years, which also boasts an impressive three-story stone pagoda
and ancient stone lanterns. From there, hikers head up the boulder steps and
windy slopes o okkibong, then peak-hop along the highest ridges, past
various mountain shelters that dot the course at 1,700 metres above sea level,until reaching Cheonwangbong, 1,915 metres high. From there you can
descend into Jungsan-ri or a hot bowl o ramen and shots o soju.
Korean hikers tend to return to Jirisan again and again not just or
its visible history and natural beauty, but also because it is so huge that
you could go every weekend or months and always ind a new route. he
gurgling streams o Guryoung Valley, the sharp-edged Kalbawi (Knie
Rock), the enormous Buril Waterall and the calmness o Cheoneu emple
are scattered around Jiris ringes, each easily accessible rom a dierent
small town, each with its own charm.
rocks. wo-thirds o the way up, you exit the orest into a wide expanse o
lower vegetation rom where it takes about an hour more to reach the top.
Because o the high chance o thick aternoon og, park rangers stationed
at the Jindallaebat and Samgakbong shelters (each at around 1,500 metres)
prohibit anyone rom continuing to the peak afer 1pm, so rise early unless
you plan on staying overnight.
J I R I S A N
Te southernmost vertebrae along Koreas spinal chord o a mountain range
is Jirisan, a national park sprawled across three provinces and home to nearly
5,000 types o flora and auna. Vibrantly pink cherry blossom in the spring,
thick pine orest and some o the last remaining Asiatic black bears in the
world are just three o the parks attractions.
hough summiting the highest peak, Cheonwangbong, can be donein a single eight- or nine-hour day rom the tiny eastern tourist town o
Jungsan-ri, there are enough pounding
wateralls and colourul Buddhist temples
scattered throughout the park to justiy
an extended two-to-three-day trek rom
one village to another.
he most s t renuous mult i -day
route begins at Hwaeom emple in the
southwest, an historic wooden Korean
South Korea
Korean hikers tend to return to Jirisanagain and again not just for its visiblehistory and natural beauty, but alsobecause it is so huge . . .
WINTERS HOARY BREATHJirisan (left) and Taebaksan
(below), show off the stunning
results of a sharp frost. Despitebiting cold, winter trekkers are
not un common on such peaks.
THREE MORE
TaebaeksanClose to Pyeongchang, the site of the
definitively winter mountain on the o
Its so definitively snowy that it hosts t
a free event held each January that a
gawk at enormous ice sculptures of M
or watch a performance of ice nanta,
music, only played by chopping mac
The mountain is also a popular ski an
is nice because its easily accessible b
City, but less nice because this mean
fewer bratty kids at the 1,567-metre-hor at the teetering ancient Manggyeo
wisdom, built 1,460 metres up.
Sinbulsan
A few kilometres outside of Ulsan in
more than 1,200 metres tall. The asc
authorities have tethered ropes alon
so even casual hikers can feel vague
up. Sinbulsan is best hiked in the spr
blossoms and silver grass are in full b
down into a series of waterfalls from
and strength. One major draw here i
way, especially for non-Korean speak
cheap, and once you get there youl
GayasanOne of Koreas most spiritually and c
its isolation, Gayasan is so difficult to
deep in a valley, is famous for its pre
wooden blocks that have survived int
with Buddhist scriptures, they have w
Korean soldiers and a fire that literall
around them. Its a common pilgrimaa beautiful sight for anyone, not to m
eastbound up Mt Gaya itself, 1,430 m
forests of pine and fir.
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S E O R A K S A N
Only a ew kilometres south o the heavily militarized border with North
Korea, Seoraksan is South Koreas third-tallest mountain, though it is more
correct to view it as a massi or range o related peaks.
his is an autumn and winter mountain: in the summer monsoon
season, the streams oten lood the path. Whatever the season, watch or
rare species as Seorak is one o the ew places where you can spot the Korean
goral, an odd-looking goat-antelope hybrid, as well as the dwar stone pine, arapidly disappearing prickly pink shrub threatened by global warming.
Seoraks postcard panorama is Dinosaur Ridge, a row o jagged rocks
that shoot up in the northeastern corner o the park and truly do resemble
the spindly backside o a stegosaurus. Tough the path across the ridge has
been closed recently, the view rom aar is what most Koreans strive or
when they climb to the 1,700-metre-tall peak, Daecheongbong.
he quickest and most popular route up Daecheongbong is via Osaek
rail in the south, but this path is also the hardest, with its switchbacks back
and orth across a stark mountainside exposed to the elements. As ar as
Korean mountain trails go, most o which are well maintained and readily
walkable, the steepest parts o Osaek are a hands-and-knees vertical climb,
treacherous i covered in snow or mud.
Shooting straight up the Osaek also shows only glimpses o the parks
character. In the northeast, or instance, is Gwongdeumseong, an ancient
300-metre-long s tone temple ,
possibly built in the 13th century to
deend against Mongolian invaders.
You could also choose to believe the
legend that two intrepid soldiers built
the entire ortress in a single night,
but there are no shortage o legends
to accompany these mountains and lines must be drawn somewhere.
Another particularly adorable Seoraksan tale tells o Ulsanbawi, a
bumbling sort o mountain who walked rom the southern port c ity o
Ulsan to join 12,000 other mountains as part o a gods plan or a beautiul
range. But by the time the mighty mound o stone had made it to the party,
all the spaces were illed. Dejected, he began walking slowly back down
the peninsula but realised how beautiul this spot beside Sokcho was, anddecided to stay there. oday Ulsanbawi is one o the most beautiul (and
diicult) routes on Seoraksan, with awe-inspiring panoramic views o the
city and waters below. AA
South Korea46
Seoraks postcard panorama is
Dinosaur Ridge, a row of jaggedrocks that . . . truly do resemble thespindly backside of a stegosaurus.
PRACTICALITIES
When to goAll of Koreas national parks are open year-round and are free, though
parking and camping fees may apply. Locals like to enjoy the seasonal
differences and often make multiple trips to the same mountain during
different times of year. That said, the busiest times are the cooler
months: the spring of March-April (especially cherry blossom season,
which usually falls during the last two weeks of March) and the autumn
of September-October, just after monsoon, but before all the leaves
have fallen. At these times, the trails can be exceptionally busy. The
summer rains are heavy and unpredictable, but its worst in the second
half of July. Southern South Korea rarely sees snow in the winter, but
expect ice-tipped peaks from November until as late as April acrossmuch of the country.
Where to stayHallasan, Jirisan and Soeraksan, as well as many of the other important
mountains, have shelters stocked 24/7 with water and food. Mattresses
can be rented cheaply and the cost for a spot in a shelter is under
US$10. In the winter, some even sell trekking poles, rain jackets and
crampons. Bring your own tent if you want to camp near the foot of a
mountain (sites are often some distance from the trail) or even just to
sit at the peak and hide from the sun
among Koreans). Do use formal cam
though, as camping elsewhere is illeg
What to takeIf you want to blend in with the local cro
outdoor gear: breathable shirts and lig
pole for each hand and a huge backpa
thermos of green tea, a portable gas st
rolls of kimbapor cups of ramen noodl
warm, shorts and a t-shirt should do yo
offer to share food with you on the trailShots of the local firewater, soju, may e
considered rude to reject alcohol if its
ContactsThe Korean National Park Service (KNP
several languages (English site is http:
maps and guides. Spots in shelters can
and you can also find specific contact n
Tel: (82-2) 3279 2700 x1
TWO EXTREMESSeoraksan (above) can draw a crowd
all year round, while Baekdusan
(top), supposed birthplace of the
Korean people, is unattainable fornow, being on the North Korean/
China border.
PHOTOS:DOUGMACDONALD(BOTTOMR
IGHT);KOREANTOURISMO
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