Choongnam Cheongyang Chilgapsan Mountain Hike - Jangoksa Temple Course

1.     Date and Time : Oct 14, 2018 09:30~15:00 (5 hours 30 minutes including one hour break).

2.     Location :. Jeongsan-myeon (Town), and Daechi-myeon (Town), Cheongyang-gun (District), Chungcheongnam-do (Province)

3. Distance and Course : About 11.18km. Course is to start at Janggoksa Temple Parking Lot => Turtle Rock Junction => Chilgapsan Summit (561m Altitude) => Back to the Janggoksa Temple Parking Lot through the Same Ascending Course. Please refer to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojTpk3CXRYE&t=51s

4.     Access :

There is several ways to connect “Seoul Express Bus Terminal (”connecting at subway lines No. 3, 7 and 9) where you should get on Intercity bus line bound for Cheongyang, non-stop and taking two hours and 10 minutes. When you get off at the Cheongyang Intercity Bus  Terminal, you should walk to Eupnaeri Bus Stop taking 3 minute for 229m. Please get on local bus bound for Jeongsan and get off at Jangseung Bus Stop taking 30 minutes for 10th Bus Stop. You should walk to Janggoksa Temple taking 18 minutes 1.24km. Please refer more details to the “Transportation from Seoul Central Bus Terminal to Janggoksa”. You could simply take reverse course on your way back home. I could estimate total transportation is about 3 hour plus 30 minutes including waiting times for one way which comes total 7 hours for round trip. But you would reduce this transportation time to 6 hours for round trip in case you use private car or rent car which you could save one hours for the transportation. 

5.     Overall Remarks.

Chilgapsan (Mt. 561m above sea level) is a noted mountain with big and small peaks, valleys and also natural thick forests. It is designated as a provincial park in March 6. 1973 and the size of 32.542㎢ covers four myeons. The major attractions are the top, ninety nine valleys, Chilgapsanjang (the statue of Choe Ikhyeon, the monument of Chilgapsan song, etc), Cheonjangho (Lake), Janggoksa (Temple), Jeonghyesa (Temple), a natural recreation forest, Dorimsaji, Duryungseong (Fortress), etc.
Especially Chilgapsan has distinct characteristics each season. It boasts beautiful figures of wild royal azalea blossoms and cherry blossoms in spring. Its thick natural forest tranquilizes people's bodies and minds in summer. Harmony of various colors in fall, and a snow-covered scenery make us feel as if we were in Paradise. For all of them, it gives unique charm to mountaineers throughout the year. Seven trails which boast their own features have been developed for hiking in Chilgapsan. So mountaineers can select what is suitable for themselves. As a result, tourists have been steadily increasing. Also, a popular song as of Chilgapsan has been famous in the whole country in Korea and several other countries in the world

6.     Detailed Course Information

     I made a personal plan covering three mountains during this travel, Chilgapsan, Gyeryeongsan and Seodaesan which are listed at NPS 100^th Mountain in Korea. I booked I booked Gongju Forest Town (GFT) Lodge in Choongnam Province with lower price per day, KRW 35,000-/Day and paid three nights for 105,000- which was clean and neat at mountain nature taking into account performance against price. It was a bit major problem no sound proof insulation between room and room, almost filtering any noise or sound from neighboring room. But I climbed every day almost 1,000 m Altitude Mountains which are included in NPS recommended Korea 100th mountains. I could easily fall asleep as soon as hot spring near-by in Gongju City and self-cooking dinner at the GFT room. It is one more concern working people at GFT would not so well communicate with foreigners in English. I believe GFT people would communicate minimum English with body language and would not be necessary to communicate any more after check-in since each customer should solve all living affairs by themselves during their stay. In order to solve noise problem, I am going to reserve independent log house next time which I could be away from the noise and sound problem, even paying a bit higher price, KRW 42,000-/day. Chilgapsan was a first goal today which I should directly come down from Seoul by car and reached Janggoksa Temple Parking lot around 09:00 o’clock since I left home in Seoul at 06:00 o’clock. I parked the at the Parking Lot and moved to Janggoksa Temple prior to Chilgapsan Hike and walked to main temple first and found somewhat unusually two main temple hall, lower and higher and normally one main temple hall. I stepped to lower main temple hall and found small or medium size main temple hall which looks elegant and clam atmosphere. As soon as I quickly looked around, I headed to higher main temple hall and found somewhat different shape from lower main temple. But there was very valuable Cheoljo Yeaksayeoraesang,  national Treasure No 58 at the Janggoksa Higher Main Temple Hall. I walked out the Higher Main Temple Hall and ascended the first section at the steep uphill through the somewhat steep stone stair road first and steeper wood blog stair road second and heavily higher slopped concrete blog stair road third and reached first junction on the ridge road after about 20 minutes walking from the Janggoksa Temple High Main Hall where turtle rock story is introduced. I kept walking on better and easier ridge road for less than 10 minutes than before and reached first landmark stating as 2.5km to Chilgapsan Summit which means I walked 1.8km from the parking lot. I found unique red pepper arrow mark on the landmark which I laughed and smiled. I carried on walking on the mild ridge road for about 10 minutes more and met 2km to the Summit and continuously walking on the same ridge road for 20 minutes and found junction mark saying that 1.3km to the Summit strait and 2 km to Janggok Sanjang at right. I took a short break at the junction area and going up on the same ridge road for less than half an hour and reached next junction stating as only 250m to the Summit strait and 1km to Samhyeongjebong Peak at right. The Hiking road was starting to change to highly slopped steep and hardly inclined wood blog stair road after the junction. I was walking on the such a highly steep uphill road for about half an hour and finally touched down the 561m altitude Chilgapsan Summit and took a look around shortly and tried to see the junction mark for descending at the Summit and found the mark saying as 3km to Janggoksa Parking Lot and came down to the Parking Lot through the same road after less than 2 hours down-walking from the Summit that I used for ascending this morning.