Seoul Jongro Baekaksan and Iienwangsan Climb in Korea - Hike

1.     Date and Time : May 7, 2018 10:00~15:00 (5 hours including break one hours).

2.     Location : Jongro at Seoul City in Korea.

3. Distance and Course : About 13.36km. Course is to start at Heawhamun =>Malbawie Information (Horse rock)=> Sukjungmun (West Gate) => Chodaebawie (Candle Rock) => Baekak Summit (342 Altitude) => Changuiemun (North West Gate) =>Iienwangsan Summit ( 339.8m Altitude => Gangbuk Samsung Hospital.

4.     Access :

There are various ways to connect the subway Line 4 which you are supposed to get off at the Hansung University Station and walk out through Gate 5 at the Station for about 4 minutes with distance about 252m up to the Heawhamun (HWM) Gate. Please refer to “Walking from Hansung University Station to HWM Gate”. But you should take Subway line 5 on your way back to home from Gangbuk Samsung Hospital (GSH) which takes about 6 minutes with distance 387m. Please refer to “Walking from Gangbuk Samsung Hospital to Seodaemun Station at Subway Line 5” attached herein. 

4.     Overall Remarks.

This course is originally divided into two independent course, the one is Baekaksan Mountain and the other Iienwangsan Mountain are to cover major mountains, Baekaksan and Iienwangsan which are located within major downtown area of Seoul, not far from city hall as well as Korea President’s house there at the Baekaksan. Therefore everything at these Courses are principally different from other ordinary courses like compulsory registration for visitors, polite police control, detailed and smart introduction of the course, easily understanding smart landmark, very clean and so on because these area are different and particular from others in terms of security concerned. But there is almost no limitation for the ordinary visitors as long as they completely follow guide information or warning. That is why Police requested to register all visitors against presentation of ID like passport. There are of course some limitations which you should not do like no photo at no photo zone and moving within only approved area. There are some polices on the way who always check visitor’s movement especially at some higher security level area.        

5.     Detailed Course Information

As you see at the photo for walking and movement from the HWM Gate to Seoul Science High School (SSH), we should start to walk from the HWM Gate to SSH after getting through Gate 5 at Hansung University (HSU) Station which takes 12 minutes for 826m referring to the map of “Walking from HWM Gate to SSH rear door”. Please slowly and carefully move forward to SSH since this road is not as simple as see at the map which may make you somewhat confused. When you walk short while, you should soon meet the Hanyangdoseong where you could see landmark where you could follow. But there is possibility you may confuse if you follow the indicative road as introduced at the landmark. I suggest you may instead try to find the way referring to attached map and keep walking after turning right at the junction of Hanyangdoseong Information. You would pass and find a part of Hanyangdoseong Castle, Heasung Church, Kyeungshin Middle School and High School during few minutes walking and soon meet SSH Rear Door where you could start to climb Baekaksan Mountain with firstly cement paved road along with Fortress Castle. When you walk for about 15 minutes, you would meet landmark asking you to go out the castle. You would pass Waryong Park after you walk external road about 5 minutes which is extended to Malbawie Information. As you walk down for about 10 minutes on somewhat steep stairs, you should enter inside the castle again and meet Malbawie Information which you are requested to registration for climb the Baekaksan against presentation of your ID where Korea President is living somewhere at the Baekaksan. As soon as you pass the registration, they will give you registration certificate which you should hold on your neck during whole course. You should take of toilet issue before start to move since no toilet during entire course. You could soon meet Sukjungmun (North Gate) after about 10 minutes walking after the Information which is one of four Hanyangdoseong Gates. As you walk for about another 10 minutes climb after North Gate, you could meet Chodaebawie (Candle Rock) at left which looks like candle fire as you see at the photo. I found the Baekaksan Summit (342m altitude) after 30 minutes passing through stone and sometimes wooden stairs. I could see a good picture of Namsan Tower and remote Bukhansan thanks for fortunately find day and normal dust level. Therefore I took a nice picture at the Photo respectively. When I walk down from the Summit for 15 minutes, I found Goraeshinteo (Whale Rest Area).  But I did not drop the Rest and kept walking down about 15 minutes more and reached Changuiemun which is only one side name plate. I took a photo last time with no name plate. But I learned there is name plate at the other side. So I took photo with clear name plate this time. You should return Registration Certificate to Changwie Information prior to move the Changuiemun. There is a beautiful and well-arranged Chungwun Park at the other side hill where you could find monument of Yoondonju’s Typical Poet at Yoondonju Hill. As I walked on Iienwangsan Jarakgil for about 5 minutes and changed to Iienwangsan Road which connects to Iienwangsan Summit through Hanyang Doseonggil. When you climbed sometimes, you would naturally meet landmark asking to turn left to the Iienwangsan Summit and start to move up with Fortress Castle again. I saw beautiful rock named as Train Rock but I could not go there because it was a bit far from the scheduled course. Therefore I took a only photo while walking up. When I climbed for about 10 minutes, I saw Iienwangsan Summit and down below Beombawie (Tiger rock) and left photo for Iienwangsan Summit and Beombawie and touchdown Iienwangsan Summit (339.8m altitude). As I started to downhill for about 15 minutes after the touch down, I was supposed to go out the castle and kept walking down for about half an hour and met four way junctions which I straightly walked down. I walked to Gangbuk Samsung Hospital today’s target after 15 minutes walking after the four way junction via village and Waryong Neighboring Park.