Gwanak Mountain Part 2.

Here is a short video from a couple of weeks ago. Usually visibility from the mountain isn't very good but on this particular day Incheon airport, over 50km away, was quite clear.

I must apologise for the crapness of this video. I had some better shots but I deleted them to make space on my camera before I went to Hooters.

Gwanak Mountain Part 1

Perhaps the most well known mountain in southern Seoul is Gwanak San, so named because of it's resemblance to a nobleman's horsehair hat.

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Standing at just 629 meters it is hardly the highest mountain in the city but it is one of the most iconic and divides Seoul and it's neighbouring province of Gyeonggi.

Occupying over 19,000,000 square meters and with over 48km of trail it offers the thousands of hikers who ascend it every weekend panoramic views across the city and west to Incheon.

Originally believed to have been a volcano, in 1394 the founding fathers of Hanyang (modern day Seoul) were advised to build their capital at the foot of Gwanaksan, facing north, so as to avoid the "force of fire" emanating from the mountain. Ignoring the advice of the sages King Taejo built his palace, Gyeongbok-gung, in what is now downtown Seoul, on the north side of the Han river. Gwanaksan had it's revenge however in 1594 when the palace was razed by the Japanese. The palace was only rebuilt in the late 19th century and having learned a lesson from his ancestors, Regent-Prince Heungseon Daewon-gun ordered the placement of two mythical lions, haetae, in front of the palace, facing south, to protect it from the fires of Gwanak mountain.

(From here)

The mountain is dotted with temples and shrines, the most spectacular being Yeonju-dae.

(From here)

Originally established by one Master Uisang in 667 it has played host to many a dignitary, perhaps the most famous being Princes Yangnyong and Hyoryeong, who on hearing that their father, King Taejong (r. 1400-1418) had chosen their younger brother (and later Korea's most famous king) Sejong as the crown prince, took residence here in what can best be described as an adolescent huff.

Close by is Yeonju-am, a 7th century temple complex believed to have been founded by the same Master Uisang responsible for the smaller shrine mentioned above. Yeonjuam is famed for it's three storied stone pagoda which dates from the 10th century.

(From here)

Umyonsan Part 2

As mentioned in a previous post, Umyonsan is the closest hill to our apartment. In fact from the front door to the start of a trail takes about 2 minutes. While the western and northern sides of the mountain is mainly occupied by military installations, the northern and eastern side has a few more exciting options for tree huggers like us.

Before I forget, here are some photos of the outside gyms that are dotted around the mountains in Korea.

Early mornings on the mountain can often resemble an episode from The Smurfs or a scene from Darby O' Gill and the Little People, as pint sized 아저씨and 아주머 scurry from one machine to the next, engaging in exercises that closely resemble the self abuse seen during Thaipusam.

I had never seen a grandfather hang four feet off the ground by his ankles before I came to Korea, nor winced while watching a grandmother do bunny hops while holding a 20kg barbell across her shoulders - no time for warm ups in Korea, 빨리빨리.

"The Stairs of the 266 Steps"

This is not the name of the new Indiana Jones movie, rather one of the ways to reach the dizzying 298 meter peak of Umyonsan.

I know that this way might be cumbersome and unnecessary, considering the many other gentler ways to the top, but take it from someone in the know, it is worth it.

Keep going! Ignore the fact that your knees are creaking and your calves feel as if the are going to explode.

Push through the pain barrier! Ignore the fact that your head is spinning and your vision is blurry.

You see! Didn't I tell you it would be worth it! Now you'll get a birds eye view of this magnificent city, a testament to the power of man, the shining light of Asia!

Bugger.

It's a sad fact of life. Stick 23 million people into one place and you are going to get smog. It could be worse though, it could be yellow dust.

(From here)

At the foot of the mountain there is a fantastic little temple called Daeseongsa.

The famed Indian monk Malanada stayed here in 384. Feeling rather ill from the local cuisine and a tad homesick, he drank from the spring at this temple and was revived.
More recently it was the base for Baek Yong Seong, a monk and leader of the March 1st Independence Movement in 1919.

Umyonsan Part 1

We are very lucky living where we do. Within 20 minutes we have three excellent hills and mountains in easy reach.

One of the many great things about living in such a high population density city like Seoul are the ubiquitous recreational facilities. Wherever you live in the city, you are guaranteed not to be far away from a hill or mountain with a myriad of trails of varying degrees of difficulty. Most come equipped with fresh water springs, hidden badminton courts and most bizarrely. complete outdoor gyms. It was getting too dark to take many photos this evening but I will include some in the next post.


Koreans, on the whole, are a very fit bunch who exercise regularly, perhaps as a necessity owing to the fact that they consume biblical amounts of fatty pork belly and flavored ethanol on a regular basis. On weekends mountains are covered with hikers and mountain bikers, church groups and school groups, all looking for their little piece of paradise. Unfortunately, with a metropolitan population of over 20 million people, that is seldom the case and reaching the peaks of some mountains in the Seoul area can be less challenging than keeping your patience.

The closest mountain to us is Umyonsan, which means Sleeping Cow mountain. I've been reliably informed that this name comes from its elongated shape and not the crazy homeless woman who hangs out around the entrance. At just under 300 meters it isn't the most testing walk but does provide a great relief from screaming kids and smelly classrooms.

Umyeonsan is part of a range that runs across southern Seoul and was originally connected to Gwanaksan until an expressway was cut through connecting Seoul and Gwacheon.


Given its strategic location it is not surprising that the top of the mountain is occupied by a military installation and most of the northern slopes are covered with extensive trenches and machine gun emplacements and most exciting of all; a mine field.

These don't detract from what is a beautiful mountain. Replanted after the war, like most mountains in the South, and not incidentally, in the north, it has a rich mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees. Wildlife is every where and it is unusual not to see with pheasants, squirrels or woodpeckers, even close to the main trails.

In part 2 I'll include photos from the peak and something on Daeseonsa Temple.

T minus 9 weeks and 2 days

Better late than never.
With about 2 and a half months before our walk on the El Camino de Sanitago de Compostela, we've decided to keep track of our progress, training for, and walking the famous trail.
Bear with me as this is my first blog and although it may look like it was created on a Commodore 64, I'm sure I'll get better with time.

While Anna, coming from NZ, is from the same stock as the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary, I, being Irish, tend to take after the likes of Sir Richard Harris, minus the talents.

What follows, we hope, will be a tale of triumph over adversity, of man conquering nature and pushing himself to the limits of endurance.

In reality however, this will probably be another load of narcissistic drivel, rarely updated and boring enough that even our nearest and dearest will lie when they say they read it.........