How Accurate Is 'Jirisan'? Here's What It's Really Like To Go Hiking In South Korea

Back in 2016, I made one of the craziest but most fulfilling decisions yet: I took a two-month leave from work for an unpaid internship in South Korea. It was really on a whim, but when I got in and all the stars aligned, I promised myself I will make the trip sulit. One of the things that was on my imaginary bucket list was hiking up a mountain there. A couple of years prior, I had a memorable hiking trip with friends in Rizal, so I wondered if the experience would be similar.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

Planning the hike and choosing a mountain

My main reason for wanting to go hiking in South Korea? I had a pair of mountaineering shoes from that hike in the Philippines that I wanted to make sulit. I also watched a lot of K-dramas, which made me think that the activity was popular in the Land of Morning Calm. Plus, where else to get the best views than at the top of a mountain, right? So I packed my Merrell shoes and blocked off one of my weekends.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

I chose Bukhansan for three reasons. First, it’s in Seoul. It’s so accessible and only a few minutes away from the city. All you had to do was take a subway train, ride a bus, and walk a little bit to get to the jump-off point. (For that mountain in Rizal, we had to travel for a couple of hours.) Second, the articles I read said it’s beginner-friendly. And lastly, it was the highest mountain in the city. Go big or go home!

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

I also planned to go alone, but luckily, I made a friend during my internship. She agreed to join me in the hike so that she can take pictures, and that was one of the experiences that solidified our friendship. I was not an ARMY then, but she was, and she gifted me with a Wings album—that was how close we were after everything we’ve been through during my stay.

Timing issues

Experts say that spring is the best time to hike since the weather is cool, there are rarely any rains, and the mountain greeneries are lush. Starting early in the morning is also ideal, and you need to plan your trip depending on the average number of hours it takes to hike the mountain you choose.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

Our hike was during the last days of fall. The leaves have mostly shed, and the temperatures go down to 10°C. According to my research, it takes about four to five hours to climb Bukhansan. I honestly forgot what time we started but the sun was up. By the time we ended, the sun was gone. If you want a gauge of how tiring it was, here’s my selfie barometer from the time we started the hike, the middle of our climb, and when we were almost at the top.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

Is Bukhansan really beginner-friendly?

I would like to respectfully disagree with whoever said it was. It. Was. So. Difficult. Okay, I blame myself for choosing the location and setting my heart to reaching the highest point of Bukhansan, Baegundae peak. 836.5 meters high or 2,744 ft. lang naman siya, besties. My phone tracker said I walked 29,000 steps or 10 kilometers that day.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

I guess the reason why they call it “beginner-friendly” is because of the well-maintained path to the peak. I really admire how South Korea maintains its natural parks. The way up is a mix of clear paths and stairways. You really just had to have the stamina to overcome it all. I lacked that, thanks to my desk job and lazy bum.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

Reaching the peak

We spent a couple of hours on breathless climbing and just a few stopovers to rest our legs, drink water, and grab a bite of the gimbap we packed. As we got closer to the top, the paths became more natural-looking. In place of the obvious stairways and wide paths were narrow but neatly arranged rocks. There were always safety rails made of wood and ropes to hang on to. Plus, there were many hikers you could follow, and the paths were obvious, so you really wouldn’t get lost.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

You could also see the other peaks of the mountain as you climb up the highest point.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

When we got near the peak, there was this huge rock beyond the safety rail that some hikers bravely had picnics or photoshoots on. It’s one of those cliffs that will definitely kill you when you slip on it. I loved my life, so I didn’t risk it by going there. I was happy watching them from where I was sure it was safe.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

Meanwhile, my friend and I were relishing the view from Baegundae peak. All the efforts felt like they were worth it. I mean, it was like we could see the whole city!

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

We also had a surge of adrenaline upon arriving at the top. As if we weren’t cursing our ahjumma-like bodies during the exhausting hike.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

And there was a flag at the top—as if to make you appreciate where you were. And I really did.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

The descent: It was really all downhill from there

Once we had our fill of the peak, we started our descent, and until this day, I thank the heavens we made it out okay. What happened was, the sun started setting, and it was hard for us to really see the path down. The many hikers we were following up practically disappeared, and I think we were both panicking amid our quiet attempt to find our way.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

Lo and behold, we stumbled upon the office of the mountain rangers. Let me tell you: A lot of real-life Korean officers are cute. Mountain rangers, apparently, were no exception. And maybe it’s because we were so thankful that they found us, but I thought they were so, so handsome—worthy to star in a K-drama. They guided us during our descent.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

It was so dark, and we were really far from the jump-off point by then. The mountain rangers took pity on us, I guess, and offered to drive us in their pick-up toward the city. I swear, the uniformed professionals in South Korea aren’t sketchy, so we didn’t hesitate to grab the ride. And after a few moments, we were sitting in a bus going home and reflecting on our lives. We were too young to die—thank goodness.

Other mountains in South Korea

After that experience, I knew I would be more cautious in picking destinations. There are so many real beginner-friendly hikes in and around the city. I suggest starting with Naksan Park or Namsan Tower. Once you’re ready, you can explore other mountains like Suraksan and Yongmasan. There’s also the scenic Inwangsan, where you can hike along an old fortress wall. For the best autumn foliage sightings outside Seoul, there are also tour packages to Seoraksan and Naejangsan.

[youtube:{"videoId":"null","youtubeId":"e7Hdb7PVXYo", "caption":""}]

In case you’re wondering, Mount Jiri in Jirisan is a real mountain. It’s located in the Southern part of South Korea, and it spans three provinces (North, South Jeolla, and South Gyeongsang). The peak is more than double that of Bukhansan: A whopping 1,915 meters (6,283 ft). And if you plan to go hiking up to the top, it could take three days. Legit.

On the other hand, Jeju Island is famous for having the tallest mountain in South Korea, Hallasan. If you watched My Name Is Kim Sam Soon, you’ll know this iconic mountain. When my husband and I were there, though, we didn’t have enough time to visit and definitely not enough energy to climb that high. But we were able to go to another scenic mountain: Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak).

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

You had to pay a small admission fee (2,000 won or around P90) and go on an hour-long roundtrip hike, but it was so worth it! It will just be like taking the craziest flights of stairs and getting rewarded with a gorgeous view at the top.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

The scenes were TDF, and it was like you were in New Zealand. It also pays to have an Instagram husband.

Courtesy of Ginyn Noble

Now that’s a hike that I’d love to repeat, and I don’t think we’ll need Jirisan rangers to rescue us from there.

[ArticleReco:{"articles":["79687","79253","69749","77988"], "widget":"More from cosmo"}]

Source: Cosmo PH