Gyeonggi Dongduchun Soyeosan Mountain Climb in Korea - Hike

1.     Date and Time : March 19, 2018 10:30~16:00 (5 hours 30 minutes including break one hours).

2.     Location : Dongduchun at Gyeonggi Province in Korea.

3. Distance and Course : About 8.9km. Course is to start at Soyeosan Information =>Ieljumun (Main Gate) => Wonhyo Pokpo (Water Fall) => Jajaeam (Temple) => Ha Baekwundae (BWD)=> Jung BWD => Sang BWD => Kalbawui (Knife Rock) => Nahandae Peak => Uisangdae Summit (587m Altitude) => Gongjubong Peak (526m Altitude)=>Gujeolteo (Old Temple Site) => Ieljumun (Main Gate) => Soyeosan Information.

4.     Access :

There is various ways to connect Subway Line No.1 which you are supposed to get off at Soyeosan Station and walking through Gate No.1 at the station. When you continue for about 8 minutes and 542m distance, you would reach Soyeosan Information for starting Soyeosan Mountain Climb as you see at the map of “Walking from Soyeosan Station to Soyeosan information” attached herein. You can simply take a reverse way when you back home which take subway Line 1 at Soyeosan Station, bond for Seoul or Incheon. But transportation from downtown in Seoul to Soyeosan Station takes about one hour and 30 minutes. I estimate total transportation from Seoul Downtown to Soyeosan Station is about 2 hours for one way which comes about 4 hours for round trip. 

4.     Overall Remarks.

As expected, Soyeosan Climb Course has been well organized for course information and appropriated landmark at suitable location with useful information like how much km to destination as well as information how or where to go. In addition there is necessary safety protection at proper guide rope or support time by time whenever necessary. For example when you face big rocks in front of you at sharp ridge or narrow path on steep slope, they arranged to walk under support of safety rope guide or rail for safe protection. It is my personal opinion there is almost not necessary to concern about the correct courses. There is legend story relating with Jajaeam temple as ** One rainy evening Avolokitesvara Bodhisttava disguised as a beautiful woman who lost her way while gathering precious herb medicine approached Wonhyo’s hut  and asked him to let her stay overnight at the hut, in order to test Wonhyo. Wonhyo answered to her “If one extinguishes all their desires, he could enjoy complete freedom from all vexation and sin and he could also be capable of all Buddhist Truth free from carnal desire”. She left against this Wonhyo reply. Wonhyo recognized she was Avolokitesvara Bodhisttava in disguise, continued to meditate and pursue Buddhist enlightenment **. But followings are regret or comments which relevant authority should pay attention or take care soon.

1)     Insufficient information in English sometimes for the explanation on the course or story related.

2)     Kalbawui at rocky sharp ridge somewhere during the course. It is my personal idea they rather pick up one typical rock looks really and closely resemble to knife instead of indicating all rocks at sharp ridge.

3)     Introduction Photo at Observation Point for neighboring peak or scenery with explanation which one is that peak or this peak like that.

5.     Detailed Course Information

As soon as reach Soyeosan information, I was supposed to keep walking along side Soyeosan Valley Stream at right for about 10 minutes and reach Ieljumun which is a main gate of Jajaeam (Temple). , I found Wonhyo Water Fall which is related with love story between saint Wonhyo and princess of Yeoseok in Shilla Dynasty. As see at photo, this water fall is not so big scale and high enough but decorated well with small scale water fall with proper water quantity, not too big but not too small. I climbed somewhat steep stairs at left after the Water Fall and kept following landmark and found so spectacular picture of Gwaneumbong nicely standing with sharp triangle shape at the observation point and took a photo. I moved up to hill and found Jajaeam at left which is related with above legend story and started to climb the steep hill at right of Jajaeam Temple and reached Ha BWD after 50 minutes struggling against sharp slope and slippery path sometime under support of safety rope or pipe. I further climbed for about 10 minutes and reached Jung BWD which is about 400m distance from Ha BWD. As I climb for 30 minutes more, I reached Kalbawui Ridge and met two women who tried to climb nationally well-known mountains, especially recommended as a 10 ranking position as long as available in time and situation. It seems they were very intimate and closely understand each other for discussing issue of mountain climb every time everywhere. I hope they would continue to keep such a good relation and always going well together for forever. I suggested “You would better try to visit and look anything as far as young, even one year younger since there is nothing as the same as before. If you look beautiful mountain at 40 or 50 or 60 or even over than these years old, the feeling in your mind shall be different from each other. When see the nice scenery at 40 years old, you may feel with something like heart trembling for joy. But if you go there at same place at age over than 65 years old, the feeling is not same as that at 40 years old but heart trembling for heart disease. Please take or do many things as much as you stay younger”. I after the Kalbawui made a harder endeavor climbing steep stairs extending to Nahandae Peak step by step slowly in reference to my physical situation and reached the Nahandae after 30 minutes endeavor. There was so nice Uisangdae Summit picture from Nahandae which looks very close. But it was not so actually close and made hard effort to climb for 20 minutes more and finally touch down Uisangdae Summit (587m altitude). I looked around neighboring peak and found next target, Gongjubong 1.2km which was to reach on the way down from the Summit. I met after 30 minutes walking down junction saying one side to Gongjubong and the other to Saemteo (Spring Site). I straightly continued to go down to Gongjubong direction. It was so hard and difficult to climb sharply sloped wooden stairs at last heaviest load on my shoulder, just before Gongjubong under physically exhausted. However I finally reached Gongjubong after 20 minutes so hard and exceptional effort and kept walking downhill to Gujeolteo (Old Temple Site) after about 20 minutes and returned to Soyeosan information after half an hour walking down more.