On our second day in Seoul, we headed out to Bukhanson National Park. We rode outside the city for just over half an hour, followed the crowd off the train (there were many Koreans who looked like they were ready to hike riding the train at this point, so it was easy to figure out which direction to go), and found ourselves at the base of a very impressive mountain. All that was left was to head up to the summit, a large outcropping of rock that rose before us, towering over the temples and shops at its base.
We must have looked a bit out of place as we made our way through the markets, because a Korean man approached and explained that he was a park ranger. He was very nice and wanted to make sure we had all the information we needed for our journey, disappearing into the ranger station to get a map and another ranger with a camera. Thus we became the foreign stars of the new Bukhanson National Park brochure, posing for many pictures and listening to our new ranger friend explaining all he could and using all the English he could to describe to us our options and give us suggestions for our journey. We posed pointing at the map, and looking at the various routes we could take through the wilderness. We had of course woke up hard after spending the entirety of the day before on our feet and probably looked a bit like the living dead, but we will probably never see the pictures, anyway, until, of course, the day we see our images pop up on the Internet advertising some obscure product in Korean.
We opted for the route described to us as "easy and gentle" and set off comforted by the map in my pocket. The trails were incredibly well-groomed and wide enough for a car, so the beginning of the hike was very easy. We stopped and took some pictures of a temple near the beginning of our hike before continuing on our way, enjoying the Fall colors around us and the cool, fresh mountain air. When we did start to climb, it was up stairs that were built into the hillside. We wouldn't have to worry about getting our hands dirty, yet. We stopped for lunch and ate the bagels with cream cheese we purchased from Dunkin' Donuts on our way to the train that morning. Bagels never tasted so good than after 5 months in Mongolia. Sitting on a rock at a turn in the trail, red trees surrounding us, many friendly Korean hikers making the journey with us, bagel melting in my mouth. I couldn't wish for a better start to my day, or a more surreal hiking experience.
We continued, really climbing now to a point on our map labeled Uiam. We could see it through the trees, jutting straight up from the mountainside. Uiam is supposed to be shaped like the Virgin Mary holding her Child, and looking at it we thought we could make out the shape. Or maybe our fatigued eyes were playing tricks on us. We passed a Danger sign that we understood because it showed a hiker falling off a rock. Pictures really are the universal language. Now we were able to do some real rock climbing and we scaled the side of a granite cliff (okay it was probably only 10 ft. to the top, but it was fun all the same and even a little 'dangerous'). We found our way to a long, steep, twisting staircase that led to the top of Uiam. Hundreds of steps later with terribly aching calves we had arrived. If only we knew the thousands of steps left to climb. For the moment we looked out across the ridgelines and were greeted by the fantastic sight of rocky crags as far as the eyes could see. We could hear booming off in the distance and wondered gloomily if a storm was approaching, but the sky was perfectly clear. Reality dawned and our eyes met knowingly. We were hearing the DMZ, or some military drills of some sort, anyway. North Korea was off in the distance, still out of sight, but not that far, really.
We cut across the ridgeline from Uiam to get to the peak, Mt. Jaunbong, helped along the way by ropes and rails and some sections of the rock were getting steep. The view to our left kept opening up and showing the magical view of mountains disappearing in the distance. The immensity never fails to light up your imagination, like you could take off and disappear in the beauty of it for days on end. After much walking, and many breaks to admire the view, we arrived at the base of Mt. Jaunbong. We looked up the steep slope to the top and avoided the drunk Koreans wrestling among the picnickers on the ridge. The ascent was straight up a very steep rock cliff, aided by a metal rail that had been pounded into the rock. We made our way, hand over hand, whipped the wind and steadying wobbly knees as we came over the crest. The view was amazing from the top as we sat precariously perched on the smoketop-shaped summit, drinking it in.
Heading back down the mountain, through the markets and into Seoul, I knew this hike would be the highlight of our vacation. It was partly because my feet and legs were left in such a rubbery state at this point that I knew we wouldn't have nearly as much energy the last two days to get out and do things, but it was mainly the majesty of the place. It felt like stepping into another world, and as we returned to the urban landscape of Seoul, my mind kept escaping back to the mountains and breathing in the view. Later, we visited Cheongyeonggung Stream and went up to Seoul Tower, but nothing in Seoul could quite compare to the soaring, jagged mountains of Bukhanson National Park.
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