Life is a different Wave moving by Time and ending at Shore: Gangwondo Pyungchang Baegunsan Mountain Hike

1. Date and Time : Jan 27, 2019 10:00 ~16:00 (6 hours including hour break).

2. Location : Pyungchang-District and Jeongseon-District, Gangwon-do (Province) in Korea

3. Distance and Course : About 14.95km. Course is to start at Baekryeong Cave Parking Lot => Ridge Junction => Pyungchang Baegunsan Summit (882.4m Altitude) => Salgyemokjae => Seongtoe => Baekryeong Cave Parking Lot as indicated at the Gangwondo Pyungchang Baegunsan Mountain Hike Map and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3_tnSg1phM&feature=youtu.be

4. Overall Mountain Explanation.

Baegunsan -Mt. holds Donggang River which is holding the "secret of ancient times" and "heavenly sight" flowing quietly from the deep mountains of Gangwon-do. Considering this, the hike in Baegunsan Mountain gives you the feeling of becoming a fairy. To hike in Baegunsan Mountain, you should cross Donggang River. You should also cross the river back after the hike. But you can also ride in a boat to Seopsae after coming down from Chiljongnyeong Ridge to Munhee village without crossing the water. This is the way to enjoy both mountains and river at the same time. But, the hike to Baegunsan Mountain usually starts from Jeomjae village.

5. Detailed Hike Course Explanation.

I came down to Pyungchang Munhee Village by car from Seoul where I was planning hiking 882.4m Altitude Baegunsan Mountain. It took about 4 hours for about 200km distance because last about 70 km was real country road, many sharp curvatures and narrower which was longer than what I expected before start. It was really slow one-way road for about last 4 km which I was carefully and slowly driving along with Donggang River, below 40 km/hour. There are many Baegunsan here and there. Therefore you should navigate under either Pyungchang Baegunsan or Jeongseon Baegunsan. Otherwise you would go to wrong Baegunsan. As I arrived at Baekryeong Cave Parking Lot in Munhee Village, small typical remote country village, I found enough parking spaces for many visitors, below 50 cars, no fee which was situated at Donggang Riverside and wound around the Donggang River at front side and fenced with Baegunsan Mountain Valley at backside. Please see photo attached. I looked around the Parking Lot and found Baegunsan Hike Course Map and decided to take hike course as going up to the Baegunsan Summit from left side and going down through right side and along with Donggang River as shown as “Gangwondo Pyungchang Baegunsan Mountain Hike Course”. I was walking to Munhee Village from Baekryeong Cave Parking Lot through Munhee Bus Stop and turned right and walking on paved village uphill road for few minutes and found first landmark stating ads 1.9km to Baegunsan Mountain Summit. As I walked on the same road for about 10 minutes, I reached second landmark stating as 1.6km to the Summit through steep and hard course and 3.7km to the Summit through soft and easy course. There was road condition changing at this junction, paved village road until the junction and unpaved and gravy hike course road after the junction as see at the photo. I was keeping going on the hike course road alongside with valley stream for about 20 minutes and reached junction between steep and hard course going to the Summit by 1.1km at right and soft and easy course going to the Summit by 3.2km at straight which was situated besides stone pagoda. I tuned right at the junction and starting on so hard and steep uphill road that I could not speed up and very slowly climbing. I have spent about half an hour for such hard uphill road, almost struggling works and reached landmark at the ridge road stating as 400m to the Summit at right. I took a some break on the way up to the landmark and continuously walking comparably soft ridge road for about 10 minutes and reached junction mark; 200m to the Summit at left and 2.2km to Chiljeokryeong at right and turned left at the junction carried on walking uphill road for about 10 minutes more and finally touched down the 882.4 m Altitude Baegunsan Summit and looked around the Summit. There were many great surrounding mountains which I was unable to see clearly due to foggy. I was starting to descend and reaching to the previous junction mark and going down straight different from ascending course at right. I realized I should walk down to the Salgyemokjae junction along with Donggang River at left and keeping on up and down several highly slopped peaks like show as at the photo. As I struggled on this course, I found appropriate location for lunch break and enjoyed under so beautiful Donggang River and continued to walk down on the same hard and harsh road for about two hours and faced Salgyemokjae junction stating as 1.4km to Munhee Village at right and 200m to Chiljeokryeong at straight. I turned right at the junction and carried on walking on soft and easy ridge road for half an hour and back to the Baekryeong Cave Parking Lot.