Distance: 13.1km (734.5km), time spent: 9:34 (363:27).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 900m / 1200m / 1708m.
Weather: Heavy rain and fog, then heavy blue sky.
The night is not yet over when I get up; the sleepy hours before the day comes to life has almost started to become a habit now. It feels almost a little bit sad when I close the door after me and step out into the quiet dark to find a taxi that can drive me back up to Hangyeryeong. I would very much have liked to say goodbye to the elderly couple that ran the place, if nothing else to say thanks for my stay. It is bloody dark up towards Hangyeryeong, and only the headlights from the car makes me see anything at all, where the taxi winds its way up the meandering road towards the pass. The day should turn out to be just as winding by character as the road. More than a dark landscape, I did not see from my visit in the Oseak gorge.
In a wagon outside Hangyeryeong, a street vendor sits and sell food, drinks and equipment in the morning.
Hangyeryeong is just as wrapped in darkness. Since I do not wish to go before it starts to become light, I am pretty much obliged to wait. Outside the hyugeso, which has not opened yet, there is a street vendor with a small tent outside that provides nice cover for the cold wind. There, I am sitting together with some other walkers who also are waiting to go, while they are eating hot noodles. When the day dawns, it is without any signs of the sun, it is greyish and hints of rain in the air.
The clouds are temporarily withdrawing back over the mountains, on the way up from Hangyeryong for the second time.
The trailhead is next to the entrance of the restaurant, on a concrete staircase that takes you up to a closed building of some kind. It is a steep incline, but since I am located in a national park, it is facilitated for walkers with a series of staircases. It does not take long time before I feel the first raindrops. A loud thunderclap resonates from the sky. I continue walking for some time and then the rain just gets worse and worse, before I stop completely and makes a turnaround. I cannot explain to myself why I am giving up, it just stops, tired and not motivated to walk in the rain and not knowing where I am going to spend the night. Rain and wind are tearing through Seoraksan's rocky formations. Dejected I explain that I am giving up to a couple, who just ends up smiling.
View down towards Naeseorak, or inner Seoraksan, the rocky formations also receive a glimpse of the sun.
I am almost back down at Hangyeryeong again, when the layers of clouds suddenly tears apart and blue sky pushes itself through. Not to believe, so I make another turnaround. Both time and strength tossed away. Going upwards, the trail passes between trees that looks like ghost trees, where the leaves has left the branches and lies forgotten on the ground. Well-made natural staircases of stone clings to the surface upwards. However, the weather has not made a full turnaround, further up it is closing in on the mountains again, but the rain is fortunately absent.
The trail passes through grey trees that looks like a ghost wood from the fairy tales.
Ruptured hills of rock are reaching up from beneath the clouds, from the ridge I can look down upon what is called Naeseorak or inner Seorak. Seoraksan is about 400 000km² big and is split into three sections, Oeseorak (outer), Namseorak (south) and aforementioned Naeseorak. Before, I have walked through Namseorak over Jeombongsan for instance, and Baekdudaegan forms a natural dividing line between the outer and the inner section. Oeseorak is the most popular section and is situated closer to the coast and Sokcho. I overtake the smiling couple, which now becomes the laughing couple. They share a sausage and an apple with me by a nice viewing point, where we can look over towards Jeombongsan that is now hidden in the clouds, and down towards where the road meanders its way up to Hangyeryeong.
View down towards a valley beneath a grey and desolate sky, Jeombongsan hidden in the clouds in the background and you can see the road that meanders its way up towards Hangyeryeong.
The fog has the upper hand again over Jungcheongbong, and the wind has increased in strength. There are no views to be had from the summit (1664m), only a land of fog. When I am getting closer to Jungcheong Shelter in the gale, a man is coming hollering behind me and stop me to save the rain coat of my backpack, which is about to loosen and disappear into the clouds of Seoraksan. We walk together to the cabin, where we just can see the summit of Daecheonbong under the clouds. It was here that I initially had planned to walk to today; but when I called to reserve a place, there were none left. It turned out to be no places left on any of the cabins in the area. The plans was changed, I then thought of going to Madeungryeong instead, now my plans has to be changed again, I will probably not reach there before it gets dark. And that I do not wish.
On the way down from Jungcheonbong, view towards Jungcheong Shelter and Daecheonbong.
After a small break in shelter for the wind inside the cabin, Jang Kung Bey and I are continuing up towards Daecheonbong. And now it is as someone has gone around and painted over the grey colour of the sky with blue paint, the strong wind are blowing away the clouds. Seoraksan has opened up its arms for me; I am awestruck and happy that I choose to turn around for the second time. At the summit (1708m), there are quite a lot of people, and the view from the next to tallest mountain on the mainland of South-Korea is excellent. And most prominent in the line of sight is the dinosaur spine (Gongryong Neungseon), with Ulsanbawi behind. I can see the trail that twists and turns around the characteristic rocky formations that the spine has its name from.
Magnificent view from the summit of Daecheonbong, which is the highest mountain on the mainland of South-Korea. Below you can see Gongryong Neungseon (the dinosaur spine); in the background, the famous rock of Ulsanbawi and Sokcho.
Jang Kung Bey is only out for a day hike, and continues further on the path leading east that goes down from the mountain. There will be no sunset or sunrise from the summit of Daecheonbong for me, since I have to move on, so I spend some more time at the summit to enjoy the moment before setting course down towards the Huiungak cabin. At some places, I pass small patches of snow. The Huiungak Shelter is a smaller, calmer and more atmospheric cabin than Jungcheon, and reminds me a little of the Yeonhacheon Shelter that I passed on my second day of the walk. Which is somewhat strange to think of. A small creek runs past the cabin, where I eat my lunch.
Sokcho and the East Sea as seen from Daecheonbong.
I have decided to look for a place to camp as soon as I walked some distance away from the cabin, even though I know it is not allowed, the problem is that the trail now is venturing up into the spine of the dinosaur and I believe it is not many straight surfaces there. The trail goes on its way up towards the cliffs on built up paths like paved roads in the nature. The first time I am located at the top of the spine, I am standing at Sinseondae, which means a lookout and a spiritual platform for Taoist immortal spirits. I do not want to be on the back of this dinosaur when it starts to move, it is mighty.
Gongryong Neungseon or the dinosaur spine. Pointed rocky formations pushing upwards, and the trail passes by in between them.
Then a perfect spot to pitch the tent is coming up, it has a nice flat surface, view towards Sokcho and the sea, and it is in shelter for the wind. Though I do not pitch my tent right away, it is something I will wait to later to do. Instead, I spend my time relaxing and climbing around on the dinosaur, before I find me a good place to enjoy the sunset. I can however envy those who get to see it from the summit of Daecheongbong a little, even though it is very nice from where I sit. After the sun has left, I walk back and pitch my tent.
Sunset from the dinosaur spine.
With the changing weather, I have almost been able to see Seoraksan in all sorts of nuances, and that I am extremely satisfied with. I prepare and eat dinner with an evening view of the lights from Sokcho and the boats capturing squid on the East Sea. The wind is now coming from another direction, and it blows fresher. I am a little bit cold when I crawl into my little cave. Wrapped in a warm sleeping bag, with a little toast of soju to warm me on, I can do nothing but to thank for a fantastic day.
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