Gangwondo Hongcheun Galisan Climb in Korean- Galisan Recreation Center Course - Hike

  Date and Time : July 06, 2018.  08:0 0~14:30 (6 hours and 30 minutes including break one and half an hours).

2.     Location : Hongcheun District at Gangwon Province in Korea.

3. Distance and Course : About 16.53 km. Course is to start Galisan Recreation Center Parking Lot => Iron Horse Shoe Junction => Galisan Summit (1051m Altitude) => Gasap Hill Junction => Back to Galisan Recreation Center Parking Lot.

4.     Access :

There are various ways to the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal where you could use subway or bus or taxis depend on your situation. People are usually to use subway line 2 getting off at Ganbyeon Station and changing to Dong Seoul Bus Terminal taking 1 minute for 81m distance. You could take intercity bus bound for Cheoljeung taking about one hour and 20 minutes, nonstop. As soon as you arrive at the Cheoljeung, you should walk to Cheoljeung Bus Stop taking 6 minutes for 410m and change to Local Bus for Galisan and get off at Cheoljeung Bus Stop which takes about 26 minutes for 6 times bus stop passing. Please refer to the map of “Transportation from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Galisan Mountain Recreation Center”. I estimate total transportation time from the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Cheoljeung Bus Stop about 5 hours for round trip. But you would reduce this transportation time to 4 hours for round trip in case you use private car or rent car which you could save one hour for the transportation. 

4.     Overall Remarks.

      Galisan is known as the highest number of azalea blossom in Gangwon province which is mostly consisting with deep oak tree forest and with soft ridge line as a typical Korea mountain style. Water is originated at this mountain as main Hongcheun River and reserved at Soyang Lake which we could take look down at the Summit continuously. These are main reason why KNPA appointed this mountain at 100^th Korea Mountain List. There are many different species wild flowers living at the mountain which is very useful for Natural Observation Study. Gangwon Province appointed this mountain as a Provincial Recreation Forest in 1998.

      Name of Gali was originated with pure Korean interpretation “Pile of grains or fire wood” which is similar conical shape. Outlined shape of summit is very similar to the pile when you remotely look. There are three Rock Peak around the summit which is called as the best observation point and surrounded with Baekdudaegan at North, Hyeangrobong, Seolak Mountain and Odaesan along with Soyangho Lake.

You could take a look more highlight of Galisan Hiking which I recorded at the hiking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMzDpiJKAxA

5.     Detailed Course Information

I started to walk on asphalt paved road inside KNPA Galisan Recreation Center as soon as parked the car and turned right at the Parking Lot. As keep walking in compliance to road sign for about 30 minutes, I found three way junction landmark where I could see Hiking Course Map and indication to Galisan Summit turning left. When I moved up for about 2 to 3 minutes more from the three way junction, I could reach sign saying I could now officially start to hike and rough estimation for round hiking to the Summit as 5 km. I kept waking on the paved road for about 5 minutes and reached end of paved road and starting off road for hiking. I thought off road condition is still acceptable and no problem yet for climb today. As I walked through somewhat rough road, crossing rough stream and sometimes following the stream, passing thicker tartaric forest, steed wood bar stairs and somewhat deeply sloped ridge road for about more than one hour and reached junction at Iron Horse Shoe Hill stating as 900m to the Summit and the other road indicating to alternative road back to Parking Lot. I continuously walked up on this soft ridge road for 20 minutes and reached next junction saying as 300m to the Summit. I tried to look up the summit through oak tree forest and could see hardly image of summit shape like conical hat. As I passed oak tree forest and rock path supporting with   safety rope for about 20 minutes, I finally touched down Galisan Summit Stone-1051 m altitude and took a nice photo as well as fantastic video around the Summit. As soon as finished the shot, I moved to Pea No 2 and 3 which are not far from the Summit and took a good Picture at the good shot point somewhere at middle of downhill from the Summit. As I hardly reached Peak No 2 and No 3, I also shot nice video around the Peak 2 and Peak 3 respectively as you see at the Video herein. I also took a good point of the Summit View from Peak No 2 and took a short break for snack after shot. As soon as I looked around all Peaks from Peak 1 (Summit), Peak 2 and 3, I checked landmark showing indication to downhill back to Parking Lot No 1 and started to downhill following this indication through ridge road at the oak tree forest and slippery path on rock for about half an hour, reached junction stating as 3.2km to the Parking Lot. As I walked on easy and soft ridge road for about 20 minutes, I touched next Junction landmark showing direction to Parking Lot. I kept walking down through soft ridge road at the oak tree forest and tamarack forest for about one hour and found landmark saying as 2w.1km to the Parking Lot. As I walked down through the same oak tree forest and road besides stream for about one more half an hour, I could find next landmark indication as 1.2km to Parking Lot. Thereafter I was easy walking down since paved road inside KNPA Galisan Recreation Center, soft and no seat road for about one more half an hour and eventually returned Galisan parking Lot No 1 after two and half an hour downhill from the Summit.                          .       

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