Choongbook Jecheon Wolaksan Climb in Korea- Deokjusa Course

1.     Date and Time : June 18, 2018 09:00~16:30 (7 hours 30 minutes including break one and half an hour).

2.     Location : Jecheon District at Choongbook Province in Korea.

3. Distance and Course : About 14.46km. Course is to start at Deokjusa Parking Lot => Maaebulsang => Songge Samgeuri => Shilok Samgeuri = Youngbong Summit (1097m altitude) => Back to at Sanghakdong Parking Lot though the same route.

4.     Access :

There is several ways to connect “Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (” by means of subway lines No. 2 at Gangbyun Station) where you should get on Intercity bus line bound for Deokjusa, non-stop and taking three hours. When you get off at the Deokjusa Bus Stop, you should walk to Deokjusa information Center taking about 30 minutes for about 990m distance. Please refer more details to the “Transportation from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Jecheon Deokjusa”. You could simply take reverse course on your way back home. I could estimate total transportation is about three hour and thirty minutes for one way which comes total 7 hours for round trip. But you would reduce this transportation time to 5 hours for round trip in case you use private car or rent car which you could save two hours for the transportation. 

5.     Overall Remarks.

5-1) Wolaksan Mountain is located at Jecheon District in Choongcheong Bukdo Province in Korea which is 1,097m altitude highest mountain in the province. There are several evidenced sites remaining like   Deokjusa Temple, Deokjusansung (Fort Castle), Wolkwangsa, Woakgeung, Wolakshinsa. There are three major ridges from Wolaksan Mountain which is at North West extending to Choongju lake, which is at North extending at Shirumi to Kwangcheun and which is a major ridge at South extending to boundary to Kyungsang Bukdo. There are two major rivers originated from Wolaksan, the one Kwangcheon at East and the other Dalcheon at West which was joined at Hancheonri before and flowed to Han River. But these rivers are nowadays joined at Choongju Lake and directly flowing to Han River. There are eight best sceneries at Wolaksan like Wolkwang Water Fall, Mangpockdae, Haksodae, Sookyungdae, Jayeondae and Suryeomdae. But it is the best scenery at Wolaksan Summit looking around surrounding mountain scenery at Wolaksan Summit. 

5-2) Wolaksan Mountain had been originally named as Wolhyeongsan which means the best scenery that shows spectacular picture rising moon through Wolaksan. Thereafter its name was changed at Koryeo Dynasty as Waraksan which was storied; King of Wang Geon, founder of Koryeo Dynasty was choosing for new capital between Songhaksan in Gaesung and Wolhyeongsan in middle of country and finally selected Songhaksan in Gaesung. The people living at Wolaksan area was so disappointed for losing capital nomination and changed Wolhyeongsan to Wolaksan which means Warak Disappointment. Warak means in Korean as suddenly and unexpectedly fall down at a time.

5-3) There is another old love story between Maeitaeja who made Mireukbul at Deokjusa and left for Geumgangsan Mountain and after his left, his younger sister, Deokju Prince who made Mauibul at Wolaksan.                        

6.     Detailed Course Information

There is KNPS Deokju Information Center near to Deokjusa Temple where I could start to uphill the Wolaksan Mountain. When walked few steps, I saw first landmark stating as 4.9km to Wolaksan Summit and continued to walk on wood deck road besides the valley stream. I reached 2^nd landmark saying as 4.4km to the Summit after a quarter minutes walking through somewhat easy walking road and crossing over the bridge. As I walked on similar easy walking road for 20 minutes more from previous landmark, I found 3^rd landmark saying as 3.9km to the Summit. But road becomes changed to harder and steeper hill road after the 3^rd landmark. When I climbed on somewhat sloped hill and stairs for 20 minutes more, I reached 4^th landmark as 3.4km to the Summit where Maaebulsang Sculpture is close by the landmark and carved on Rock. I carefully reviewed Buddha’s features and somewhat difficult which features Buddha took like smile or laugh or angry or elegant. It looks Buddha might feature as some elegant and dignity. As I climbed the hill through so sharply sloped wood stairs and hard rock path, steeped stone stairs and steel stairs for about 50 minutes, I hardly reached 5^th landmark saying as 2.9km to the Summit. There was unique and beautiful old pine tree growing at the middle of nearly vertical cliff as see at the photo attached. Wolaksan Hill became rougher and tougher in accordance to higher and higher after the Maaebul Sculpture. I had to climb zigzag stairs so sharply inclined and also passing through rocky narrow path for about some more than one hour and reached 6^th landmark saying as 2.4km to the Summit. I saw great Wolaksan Summit and Choongju Lake during the walking from 5^th landmark and 6^th landmark and nicely took a photo. I walked comparably easy walking on ridge road through sometime oak bushes for about 10 minutes and found 7^th landmark saying as 2.2km to the Summit. When I walked about 15 minutes from previous landmark, I reached Heliport where I could see Wolaksan Summit so closely and clearly as see at the photo attached. I walked down on wood stairs for some minutes and met 7^th landmark saying as 1.5km to the Summit standing at Songeri Junction elevating as 800m altitude. As I walked for some minutes more, I reached 8^th landmark saying as 1.2km to the Summit standing at Mieruk Samgeuri. I continued to walk for about 10 minutes on easy ridge road and met 9^th landmark stating as 800m to the Summit at Shiloksa Samgeuri. As see at the photo, there were very steeply sloped zigzag steel stairs which were so hard to climb over. I hardly climbed over these stairs for about half an hour and reached 10^th landmark stating as 300m to the Summit. I finally touched down Wolaksan Summit-1067m altitude after struggling against so steep stairs and uphill for 15 minutes. I took a video and photo for so wonderful mountain scenery surrounding the Wolaksan Summit. As soon as I looked around the Summit and started to downhill through the same route as I climbed before. I saw one more nice old pine tree standing on neighboring peak and took a photo as see at the Photo. There was Youngbong Summit Ranger Office near to the Junction at Songge Samgeuri. I walked downhill for about 2 hours and 30 minutes and eventually back to Deokjusa Temple Parking Lot and took a phot for Deokjusa Main temple and Deokjusa Bell as see at the Photo.