Rocky peaks, here we come; One of these things is not like the others...
So we set out to hike from Dobongsan station, to a rocky peak, and back down to Mangwolsa station. Bukhansan National Park is a treasure in Seoul, offering beautiufl green space. At 80 sq km (50 sq miles), it's not huge, yet it's one of the most visited national parks in the world.
We start with a temple.
Not long after entering the park, we came across a Buddhist temple, Gwangnyunsa. Of the ten or so temples we've encountered in Korea, this is one of the most elaborately decorated one we'd seen yet.
Up. Then, straight up.
It was a fairly steep up hill climp. With the occasional stopping for crowds, it took us about 2.5 hours to get to the 700m (2200 ft).
You're not likely to get lost, just follow the stream of hikers.
Climbers on the peak next to Jaunbong Peak. Ours was only about 50 feet up slightly less steep rocks.
Jaunbong Peak is 3rd from the left; No way - an animal!
Us on the Jaunbong Peak. North Korea is off about 20 miles in the background.
Did I mention yet it was crowded?
It was so crowded, I fought off a panic attack on the peak of the mountain. Hanging out on the rocky peak jutting up in the air with 100 strangers isn't exactly a Zen moment. The video gives a better idea of the crowds on the peak, although I wasn't really looking to capture the joys of that experience. The views and fresh air were utterly amazing though.
Do they make designer hiking boots?
It's worth mentioning that Korean hikers are impeccable dressers. We'd seen them on the subway a lot, and we used to scoff, like, if they dress that well, they're probaby not doing very difficult hikes. That's really not it at all.
Most hikers on the trails we've seen look like they stepped out of a catalog. It's easy to spot perfectly coordinating outfits and shoes with just the right shade of lipstick. And of course there are matching couples outfits. It's easy to say we stuck out.
Mountain descent; Walking the Walk.
It was a fairly steep up hill climp. With the occasional stopping for crowds, it took us about 2.5 hours to get to the 700m (2200 ft).
You're not likely to get lost, just follow the stream of hikers.
Climbers on the peak next to Jaunbong Peak. Ours was only about 50 feet up slightly less steep rocks.
Jaunbong Peak is 3rd from the left; No way - an animal!
Us on the Jaunbong Peak. North Korea is off about 20 miles in the background.
Did I mention yet it was crowded?
It was so crowded, I fought off a panic attack on the peak of the mountain. Hanging out on the rocky peak jutting up in the air with 100 strangers isn't exactly a Zen moment. The video gives a better idea of the crowds on the peak, although I wasn't really looking to capture the joys of that experience. The views and fresh air were utterly amazing though.
a beautiful 360 degree view over Seoul; larger version is on Flickr
Do they make designer hiking boots?
It's worth mentioning that Korean hikers are impeccable dressers. We'd seen them on the subway a lot, and we used to scoff, like, if they dress that well, they're probaby not doing very difficult hikes. That's really not it at all.
Most hikers on the trails we've seen look like they stepped out of a catalog. It's easy to spot perfectly coordinating outfits and shoes with just the right shade of lipstick. And of course there are matching couples outfits. It's easy to say we stuck out.
Mountain descent; Walking the Walk.
Thanks for coming along.
The video catches more of the sights and sounds of our hike. And if you're curious about the shaman ritual we came across with a woman shaking the devil out of herself, check out Kyle's post.
We're silly and adventurous, computer geeks and yoga peeps.
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DADDIO
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mumsie
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