Most-loved mountain in Korea- Seoraksan

Hi dear hikers! Ready to go on a hike with me again? Well, you are in luck! I'll take you to the mountain that Korean people love the most. And this time, unlike last time, I didn't go alone so, I will introduce you to my hiking partners as well. As "per-ush", I will start from the end.

<- The view at the 3rd highest peak of South Korea; Daecheongbong in Seoraksan National Park with two of my colleagues from college of engineering, Seoul National University, Marie from Caribbean islands and Ceci from Peru . The peak was covered by a thick fog so, the view was limited to just the fog (tough luck 😪).

Anyhow, a journey is not measured just by the view at the end but, the scenery you enjoy throughout the journey. And believe you me when I say the scenery on the way to the peak was breathtaking. So lets start the story shall we?

We started the hike at 5.00 AM (Yes, you heard it correctly) from the park entrance at Seokcho. From the Seokcho entrance there are 4 main trails : Ulsanbawi trail, Daecheoongbong trail, Cable car ride to the fortress and Biryong falls hike. We took the trail to Daecheongbong. Before going to Seoraksan, it is recommended to check their website for closed trails. Anyways, It was dark when we started hiking so, we used our phone flash lights to light the way. Until around 6.00 AM the surrounding was barely visible.

Luckily, when we reached Biseongdae junction, there was enough sunlight to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding area.

As soon as you pass Biseongdae, you will be walking along a stream which provide a stunning view.

After passing Biseongdae, we were climbing up alongside the stream because of which we were privileged to see some gorgeous cascades such as Oryeon falls.

Until the stream disappeared, the climb was relatively easy with gentle slopes. After that, it was climbing up, specially the last 4 kms. Higher we went, the trees changed the colors from green to Orange and red.

The final 600 m to the peak was really amazing. We could observe the dinosaur ridge from there, hiding among the thick fog that engulfed it.

After 7 hours of climbing, we reached the peak Daecheongbong of Seoraksan mountain. The temperature at the peak was very low and we didn't come prepared for it. So, we stayed there for like 30 minutes after which we started our descend via Oseak trail.

Oseak trail is the shortest route to the peak and the easiest. However, there isn't much scenery that could keep your eyes occupied. Having said that, Autumn colors could be clearly seen in this trail compared to the trail we took when climbing up.

After 3 hours of climbing down, we reached the bus stop and and we started our journey back to Seoul.

This is my 2nd time to Seoraksan and I am sure I will go there one more time to discover another part of the Seorak mountain. I havent put much details in to this post, allowing you to solve some of the mysteries on your own. After all, what is the fun in an adventure if there is no mystery?

Until Next time..

Janith