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Dobongsan is the tallest mountain in Gyeonggi-do (the province I live in), as well as the busiest park in the world. Dobongsan is in between Seoul and Uijeongbu. I saw it the first day we were in Korea and thought it was the clouds. I couldn't believe it was a mountain. Granite is exposed and weathered to create what appears to be a waterfall of solid rock. It is amazing.
We packed some sandwiches and snacks and made our way to Uijeongbu station. We had a short ride, for once. Only 3 stops. (we usually are on the subway for an hour or more to get to our destination) I was worried about getting lost on our walk to the trail, but there was no chance we could. Once we arrived, I realized how busy the busiest park in the world really is. Man! It is busy! Just as crowded as the subway on a Saturday night. Wall to wall people. All decked out from head to tow in brightly colored hiking gear. Bucket hats, nylon shirts, goretex jackets (yet, no threat of rain today...), gloves, wrist guards, nylon pants, hiking shoes. Hiking poles, cups, cushions, even ice picks hanging off of $300 backpacks. You would think these people were going on a long trip, not hiking for 4 or 5 hours on a lazy Sunday. And everyone was dressed like this. Thousands of people. I felt under dressed, going on a hike. Is that even possible? But I was thankful I only wore a tee and shorts because I wanted to be light and mobile to make it as far as I could possibly go. I didn't think I would get very far, I was getting winded walking up the road that leads to the trail head!
The road boggles my mind. Completely packed with hikers, and lined with snack stands selling everything from roasted silk worm larvae to soju (Korean rice wine. Tastes like purell, but Korean's love it). There were restaurants to eat at on your way back down ranging from a tent with plastic chairs inside, to upscale western style places. There were booths selling cheap hiking outfits and goods, as well as high end brand name hiking outlets (the north face, blak yak, le forte, etc). I picked up a bandanna with a map of Dobongsan on it and tied it around my neck.
The trail was beautiful. It follows a stream that is sometimes just a trickle, and at others fast moving. People rest by the water and have picnics. The trees are bright green with new leaves. I would say it was perfect, but one thing kept getting under my skin. There were too many people! For me, hiking is more enjoyable when I am with one person. Not when I am part of a herd. It stressed me out because it seemed like everyone would follow the route up the rocks that I took. They would be directly behind me, leaving me little room to breathe! And their hiking poles would be nipping at my feet. Luckily they all move at a pretty slow pace so I didn't feel like I was being rushed, but I really don't like feeling like I am being followed.
We braked for lunch pretty early on so that Erin didn't have to carry the extra weight of the food. On our way up we also purchased little sitting pads for 1000 won (less than 1 USD) a piece. The were perfect! A small piece of foam to sit on so your bottom doesn't hurt. We snacked on cucumbers while we hiked. Many brakes were taken. When I thought we were at the top, I turned around and saw the most amazing view. I could see all of Uijeongbu, parts of Yangju and Seoul. I didn't relize how high up we had made it!
To the side was a staircase carved into the mountain with paper lanterns strung up above it. We could hear the chanting and drums of a buddhist temple. I climbed the stairs and took a rest in the courtyard of the temple. It was very peaceful, the first time that we weren't surrounded by people.
After a few minutes we came back down to the trail and continued to the peak. Man. It was a lot further than I thought. I wanted to give up so many times, it was exhausting. I decided to push through and go at my own pace. No longer were there people from wall to wall, anyone had the ability to pass me. I went slow, baby steps, focusing on my breathing and heart beat. The trail got steeper, and I didn't think I could make it. But when I tried I realized it would be easier than the less steep parts because now my arms came into use. They weren't tired because I hadn't used them at all! While climbing up with the assistance of ropes and bars, I actually had a pleasant time! As long as I didn't look down...
But then we got stopped. There was a line of people stopped up to the peak. No one could move. A helicopter was circling the peak. I got scared, so we scrambled up the side passed the stopped people. Hey, we don't speak Korean, we had no clue what was going on! No one could stop us. When I reached the peak I couldn't believe how beautiful the view was. Amazing! But I had to put my awe on hold because the helicopter was hovering over a peak a little ways down. I watched as it airlifted two people off the mountain. They looked fine, able to hold on to the rope. It looked like a tree had fallen over and broke one of their legs. His leg was all wrapped up. But everyone looked ok. Once the helicopter flew off, the moving resumed and we were able to enjoy the top. I can't believe I made it! Slow and steady, I made it and won the amazing view.
A couple at the top shared chocolate with me. It was so kind of them. Erin and I enjoyed bunny cookies from a local bakery. I am so happy I made it to the top!
Coming down the steep section freaked me out. A line of people were waiting for me to come down and I was scared of slipping. Erin went behind me and went really extra slow to hold off the masses so could feel more comfortable. Even though I was terrified, I was able to make it down and they didn't have to call a rescue helicopter for me. heh. The rest of the way was easy. I watched my footing so I wouldn't slip.
When we passed the temple area, I saw a way to get to the stream. I wanted to rinse my hands and splash my face, so we went down. There was an old couple relaxing by the stream, and when we rinsed off our hands in the cool, clear water, they started pouring us coffee! They motioned to sit with us and the woman began cutting up an apple for us. They didn't speak any English, yet they gave us a nice place to rest and some refreshments. It was beautiful. When we said good bye to them, I had more energy and we continued down the mountain at a good pace. When we reached the bottom, I looked up and was stunned to see how high we had hiked. Dobongsan is a very tall mountain, looming over Korea. And we conquered it today! I feel so proud of myself. It is much taller than any mountain I have ever hiked.
We stopped at a restaurant and got a seafood and veggie pancake. Again, an old couple insisted on giving us drink. But this time it was magkelie, another Korean alcohol. Not our favorite. They stared at us every moment we were there, so I felt obligated to drink it and make a show of how silly us foreigners are when we eat Korean food. It was a relief to leave, sometimes the kindness goes too far. Really, we were fine with water! The last thing I want after an exhausting hike is alcohol.
All the photos from Dobongsan, as well as all the photos I take can be seen at my flickr page
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robotrenai/
