Gyeonggi Gapyung Unaksan Mountain Climb in Korea - Hike

.     Date and Time : March 29, 2018 10:30~17:00 (6 hours and 30 minutes including break one hours).

2.     Location : Gapyung at Kyeonggi Province in Korea.

3. Distance and Course : About 6.62km. Course is to start Hapanri Information => Baekryun Water Fall => Muwoo Water Fall=> Hyundeungsa Temple=> Elephant Rock => Phallus Rock=> Unaksan Summit (937.5m Altitude) => Buddha Mieruk Rock=> Eyebrow Rock=> Hapanri Information.

4.     Access :

There is various ways to connect Subway Line No.2 which you are supposed to get off at Gangbyun Station and walking to Dong Seoul Bus Terminal through Gangbyun Station, Gate No. 2 changing to Inter City Bus bound for Cheongpyung Bus Terminal in reference to Bus Time Table attached herein. You are requested to stay on bus about one hour and to get off at Cheongpyung Terminal and to change the bus to local bus No. 1440-44 bound for Hyundeungsa Entrance. Please stay one more hour on the local bus and get off at Bus Stop ID:44-369, Hyundeungsa Entrance and walk about 2 minutes for 160m from the Bus Stop to Hapanri Information where Hapanri Village office, Climb Starting Point. I roughly figure it would take total transportation time including transit times as about 2 hour and 30inutes for one way. You are now in position to start climb Unaksan Mountain Course after taking right at the Hapanri office and turn left at next junction and continue to follow road gradually way up to the hill. You could on the way back take reverse way to your destination from Hapanri Information though Cheongpyung Terminal and Dong Seoul Terminal where you could change Inter City Bus to Subway Line 2. If you use private transportation, you could save at least one hour for one way transportation which comes 2 hours for round trip unless you are in traffic jam.   

4.     Overall Remarks.

Unaksan is one of so hard and difficult five mountains which Gyeonggi Province nominated. “Ak” in Korean means so hard and difficult to take over or tackle over which is included in “Unaksan”. There are two possible way to climb Unaksan Mountain; the one is to climb Unaksan through Elephant Rock and Baekho Ridge and down to Hapanri through Cheongryeong Ridge and the other to climb reverse way to Unaksan Mountain through Cheongryeong Ridge and down to Hapanri through Baekho Ridge. The one is to climb down to Hapanri Cheongryeong Ridge where so many rocks pass with supporting wire rope or anchor. The other is to climb these rocks first and walking down to Hapanri through Baekho ridge and Valley Stream Course, less hard than climbing down on the rocks. But I did not know this difference which one is less hard. Anyhow It remind me how I should take an action to use rope or anchor whenever necessary which I drilled long time ago, maybe nearly 40 years when I was on military compulsory period. I was surprised still instinctively to take such correct position or shape or holding proper force for walking on the rock and correct timing for necessary jump.  I praised myself as “Good Job” after easy and smooth completion of so hard climb course today and was proud of so hard military obligation for 3 year service which makes me strong in physical as well as mental.

5.     Detailed Course Information

When I walked about 10 minutes, I found ticketing booth for collecting entrance fee which they would not collect the fee any more. I walked on wide road easily and comfortably for 15 minutes after Hyundeungsa Temple Main Gate and reached three way junction branching to Unaksan summit either through Cheongryeong Ridge, right direction 2.61km or through Baekho Ridge, left direction 2.94km. But it should be the same for me since I walk round from right to left. I walked some minutes on the same road and met Baekryun Water Fall which is almost no water because of just passing dried season in Winter. When I walked some more, I met one more Water Fall as Muwoo Water Fall which was the same situation as Baekryun Water Fall, no water. It seems that Water Fall is normal somewhat sloped water stream at valley, no significant difference. There are landmark around the Muwoo Water Fall saying as 640m to Hyundeungsa Temple and Unaksan Summit 2.22km where I shall return to this junction after touching down Unaksan Summit later. However I reached Hyundeungsa Temple after 10 minutes walking from the Muwoo Water Fall and quickly looking around the temple. I walked for a while from the temple and found landmark saying as 1.63km to Unaksan Summit and moved just a bit and met Hamheodang Deuktong Stupa and Stone Lantern. When I walked for a while, I found it would be starting climbing up rocky and stone mixed steep valley stream, Jojongchun Upper Stream which I could not walk rather than slowly climb up. I felt it was getting harder and harder depend on more higher and higher after visiting Hyundeungsa Temple since there was no road or pass and instead rock and stone irregularly tangled. I was so hard struggling to climb this road or pass about 50 minutes and found landmark as 1.3km to Unaksan Summit. I should tackle over more harder course after the previous landmark than before and nearly climb fight against so sharp and rocky hill for about 40 minutes and saw delighted landmark showing as 800m to the Summit. When I climbed for 15 minutes more, I found “Elephant Rock” looks like elephant head and nose which is natural mystery. I continued to climb up for about 20 minutes and reached Baekho Ridge where landmark junction saying as 640m to the Summit and the other way to Daewonsa temple. When I walked for about 15 minutes more, I found Observation Point where I could clearly see Phallus Rock really looks like the same shape. I kept climbing up so steep stair road and rocky pass for 20 minutes and eventually touched down Unaksan Summit (937.5m Altitude) and took so deep breath and looking down to neighboring mountains around the Summit. It was so spectacular scenery which nature only could create in the world. I was pleasantly to climb down through Cheongryeong Ridge from now on through so harsh and dangerous zone. When I climbed down such difficult area for about half an hour, I met landmark showing as 2.82km to Hapanri Information. I met Buddha Mieruk Rock after climbing down some more which really looks like back shape of Buddha. When I climbed down on harder for a quarter minutes, I found splendid and spectacular view of Eyebrow Rock” which was mysterious scenery. I felt human is a just tinny dust or almost nothing in front of so great nature when I saw the Eyebrow Rock scenery. I saw landmark showing 1.72km to Hapanri information after half an hours climbing down. It was a particular points at the Cheongryeong Ridge there were some bigger rock obstacles on the way down on Cheongryeong Ridge to Hapanri information which we must detour to right way or left way. There were sometime some road was not so clear which way I should take to right or left sine there was no clear landmark or indicative ribbon or any other something for indication. When I faced one bigger obstacle rock in front of me, I carefully checked several times referring to some evidence or trace for human walking which way should be correct detour way, left or right. I finally choose right way and walking on pile of dead leaves in depth and slowly moved to right direction more and more. But there was trace or evidence for walking road. I decided to return to left direction through so highly deep piled dead leaves and suffered for this area and lost about 30 minutes only die to this mistake. Anyway I found three way junction landmark saying as 1.13km to Hapanri Information after half an hours walking down more from previous landmark where near to Muwoo Water Fall. I could easily and smoothly walking down for about 15 minutes on the wide and good road which passenger car could easily pass and returned Hapanri Information where I start to climb this morning.