Seoul Dobongsan Mountain Climb in Korea-Uieam Peak Course - Hike

1.     Date and Time : April 20, 2018 09:30~16:30 (7 hours including break one hours).

2.     Location : Dobongsan Mountain in Seoul.

Distance and Course : About 8.42km. Course is to start Dobongsan Information =>Cheochuksa Temple => Madangbawui Rock => Jubong Peak (619m altitude) =>Kalbawui Rock => Uieam Peak (542m altitude)=>Dobongsa Temple=> Neungwonsa temple=>Dobongsan Information (DI). As introduced at KNPS (Korea National Park Support) linked at below, you may shorten time and distance to 2 hours and 20 minutes and 5.0 km respectively in case you climb to Uieam from Dobongsan Information and directly back to DI without break times, take combined with other Route like Jubong. http://english.knps.or.kr/Experience/ParkContent.aspx?SEQUEN=25&ParkDiv=01&HikDiv02=01&MenuNum=1&Submenu=Npp&Third=HikingCourses&Fourth=01 ,

3.     Access :

There is various ways to come to DI by means of public transportation. But I suggest you may use Subway (Line No. 1) where you get off at Subway Station-Dobongsan (DBS) Station and exit Gate 1 and walk about walk up to DI about 1.14km for about 10 to 15 minutes as introduced at attached Map from DBS Station to DI. When you back to home, you simply take reverse course.  

4.     Overall Remarks.

As Uieam Peak Course is the most beautiful course where you could enjoy fantastic view of neighboring peaks like Jawunbong Summit (739.5m), Manjangbong (718m altitude), Seoninbong (708m altitude) and Obong (660m altitude) as introduced at photo with explanation. But it was very unlucky I could not take a nice photo with my mobile phone camera because of fine dust level high, around 115㎍/m³, normally 50 to 80㎍/m³. It was no meaning to take photo with so poor visibility. Therefore I used to introduce Information Photo at Observation point as shown at attached photo. It is one of the most important factors to human life in Korea in addition to weather condition. I always check dust level around living area as well as destination every time before movement to somewhere. But forecast of this dust level is very low percentage, below 60% comparing to weather forecast level more than 90%. But I should check dust level time by time in early spring season, especially in April and May every year.

5.     Detailed Course Information

As shown at shown at the photo of DI, I walked hill side and found Kwangryunsa Temple at right and reached at the three way junction where Jawunbong (JWB) direction at left. It was easy paved road with concrete block, passenger moving and found on the road many various trees starting to open light green leaves and some starting blossom like azalea or royal azalea or cherry. There are many visitors around my walking here and there may be due to this good spring time. I walked about 10 minutes and met three way junction, the one to Uieam-2.1km and the other to JWB 2.3km and take left road. Thereafter I kept walking about 10 minutes more and found the road changing to rock and stone road following valley stream at left and found a nice photo point where I took a nice view of Insu peak and kept mainly walking on the same rock and stone road and sometime on stairs about 30 minutes from Uieam Junction and met Three way Junction again, the one to Cheonchuksa Temple and the other to Seokgulam Hermitage and took left Cheochuksa course. I found Cheochuksa Temple main gate after about 10 minutes walking and entered to Cheonchuksa, more than 1,000 years and found this location is so well nature view along with Insubong Peak, personally and naturally admiring this amazing nature view with so beautiful temple and fantastic harmony between temple and great Insubong Peak. I met outdoor small Buda statues standing with each different feature. It seems there is no same feature Buda Statue as other, all different each other. I did not count how many statues at this area but many, provably more than 100 or less than 200. I climbed on rock small narrow pass about 15 minutes and met Three Way Junction, the one to JWB and the other to Seongdowon. I took JWB direction and walked on the same rocky pass for 5 minutes and reached Madangbawui where the one to JWB and the other to Jubong Peak. I took Jubong Peak, 800m from the Junction. I walked down on sloped rock at left and continued to climbing on rocky pass about 10 minutes and met three way junction again, the one to Jubong 400m and the other to Kwanueonam 200m and took Jubong course and kept climbing about 30 minutes and reached Valley Hill Three Way Junction, the one to Uieam-1.9km and the other to JWB-300m. I tried to find suitable place for lunch and break around this area and enjoyed packed lunch bring from home about one hour. It was so delicious and sweet not comparing to any other lunch pack at ground. I choose Uieam-1.9km direction and started to walked on Dobong Juneungseon- major ridge where many rock situated on the way. I several times climbed up and down with steel wire support and sometimes waking on stairs and reached 1.4km to Uieam Junction after about 30 minutes walking. I continued to walked rocky narrow pass and sometime on rock with steel wire rope support as see at photo and sometime walked on beautiful ridge with azalea flower blossom when I passed on Dobong Juneungseon-major ridge. I reached Three Way Junction, the one to Uieam-800m and the other to JWB-1.4km after about 30 minutes walking from previous landmark. I found Helicopter Port on the ridge after about 10 minutes walking and kept walking about 10 minutes from the Helicopter Port and reached Three Way Junction Landmark, the one to Uieam-400m and the other to Obong-1.7km and took a Uieam direction and kept walking about 10 minutes and met three Way Junction again, the one to Uieam-200m and the other to DI-2.4km where I would back to this junction after visiting Uieam Peak. I started to climb on stairs at right and standing Observation Point at middle of climbed road where I could take so nice photo around Uieam but I could not do that because of dense fine dust in Korea from afternoon. Anyhow I kept walking up about 10 minutes and finally found Uieam Peak, meaning as cow ear shape. Please look at my photo and try to see this meaning. I walked down as soon as I took a nice photo and return to previous Three Way Junction where I turn to right to DI-2.4km direction and following landmark direction for about 30 minutes walking down and met Wireless Transmission Tower. I continued to walk down on the ridge for about 45 minutes from the Transmission Tower and reached Junction area where I could join main road to DI, No more mountain pass. When I walk down on paved road about 5 minutes, I met rest and break area as seat the photo. I continued to walk down to DI for 15 minutes passing Dobongsa Temple and Neungwonsa temple on the way down and finally touch down DI as I passed this morning.