Seasonal Upgrading and Different Obong Course Hike to 2018-10-04 Korea Seoul Dobongsan Mountain Hike - Songchu Valley to Jawunbong.

1.     Date and Time : Jan 25, 2019 08:30~16:30 (8 hours including one and half an hour break).

2.   Location : Yongju-District, Uijeongbu-City, Gyeonggi-Province and Dobong-District, Seoul in Korea.

3.   Distance and Course : About 13.32km. Course is to start to ascend at Songchu Parking Lot 2 => Obong Park information => Yeoseongbong Peak => Obong Peak => Songchu Junction => Dobongsan Mountain Summit (739.5m Altitude) => back to Songchu Parking Lot 2 through the same ascending course. Please refer to “Seoul Dobongsan Mountain Jawunbong Shinseondae Hike- Obong Course” and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti20EQhbDO0&feature=youtu.be 

4.   Access :

There are various ways connecting or changing to the Subway Line No.3 wherever depend on your way. Please get on the subway Line No. 3 and get off at Gupabal Subway Station and exit through Gate No. 2 and catch on local bus No. 704 at Gupabal Bus Stop and moving 28 bus stops taking about 28 minutes and get off at Pureunmaeul Apartment Bus Stop. You should walk 732m from the bus stop to Obong Park Information via Songchu Parking Lot No.2 taking about 12 minutes.

5.   Overall Remarks.

There are five major hike courses climbing over 739.5m altitude Shinseondae Summit at the Dobongsan Mountain, first three at East Dobongsan Mountain are Dobongsan Park Information Center, Angol Park Ranger Post and Bukhansan National Park Dobong Office and second two at West Dobongsan Mountain are Songchu Ranger Station and Obong Park Information Center. I took last Obong Peak Course today which I ascend Shinseondae Summit through outstanding beautiful peaks like Yeoseongbong Peak looks like Female symbol and Obong Peak from No. 1 to 5. Please see relevant Photo and Video.

6.   Detailed Course Information

      I checked ambient temperature around my home before leaving and found temperature was -4 degree C which was not so much chilly and cold. But as I parked the car to the Songchu Parking Lot 2, I felt it was very chilly and cold and checked ambient temperature around Songchu area found – 8 degree C which was 3~4 degree C lower than Seoul downtown temperature. I tried to prepare cold weather and took a temperature protection Jacket and gloves. I started to move to Obong Park information Center through right side valley stream for about 10 minutes and reached the Center and checked hiking course at the guide map and walked on the wide and easy road for 5 minutes and reached first junction Mark; 1.8km to Yeoseongbong Peak and 3 km to Obong Peak at Left and Eco Swamp Experience at straight. I just followed easy walking road and passed check- point for auto counting number of visitors and continuously climbed over hill and stone stair road for more than half an hour from the previous junction mark and somewhat remotely saw Yeoseongbong Peak at left. I took a photo and video at proper angle and kept on walking for about 5 minutes and faced steep rocky and slippery road and walking under safety steel support. There was nobody climbing up and down which I met. I was wondering it might be too early to climb on the mountain under cold weather, - 8 Deg. C. Anyhow I was ascending hike course for about 20 minutes and met first post point, Yeoseongbong Peak which looks like female symbol (rock shape) with fur (pine tree on the rock). I took nice shot to the Peak and walking behind the rock and found very big somewhat flat rock where I was able remotely to see gorgeous Bukhansan- Triangle Peaks, Baekwundae Summit at right, Insubong Peak at middle and Mankyungdae Peak at left as see at the photo. It was not so easy and common to see clear picture of remote Bukhansan Mountain. There was also Obong Peaks looks near-by which we called from No. 1 Peak at lowest to No. 5 Peak through No. 2 Peak, No. 3 Peak and No. 4 Peak as see at the photo. I moved back to Yeoseongbong Peak as soon as I finished nice shots and came across so obvious Sapaesan Mountain at left which was not able to see such nice scenery when I climbed over yesterday because it was too close to see clear picture, standing at the Sapaesan Mountain. I took a nice shot also and now found few people climbing Yeoseongbong Peak. I backed to Yeoseong Peak and checked landmark near-by standing at ridge and stating as 1.2km to Obong Peak and 2.9km to Jawunbong Summit. I was somewhat easily walking on ridge road for half an hour and reached Observation Point where I could shot close and obvious Obong Peak and shot the picture. When I walked on harder and steeper road for more than half an hour after Observation Point, I found Songchu Junction mark stating as 2.5km to Songchu Valley at left and 1 km to Jawunbong Summit at right. I afterword soon faced so steeper and harder climbing road in front which I passed really difficult rocky road climbing over under full support of safety steel pipe or rope and hardly reached next landmark for about a quarter minutes effort saying as 700m to Jawunbong Summit at left. I was walking down at the landmark for some time and climbed on very steeper wooden stairs junction and almost struggling steeper uphill road and wooden stairs for about 40 minutes and reached gorge between Manjangbong Peak at left and Jawunbong Shinseondae Summit at right. I was supposed to climb on really and highly slopped and slippery rocky road under severe windy and eventually touched down 739.5km Shinseondae Summit after about 5 minutes struggling works and took nice shot around view of the Summit and rushed down since wind was too strong to stay there on top as well as so many climbers were climbing on top, limited top area under steel safety fence and probably maximum 10 people at a time. I was hurry up descending and decided to get back to the Songchu Parking lot 2 through the same ascending road. I came across more close and clear picture of Obong Peak on the way down form the Summit after about half an hour and took a nice shot at good angle and back to the Parking Lot 2 after three and half an hour descending from the Summit.

Songchu Parking Lot 2

Obong Park Information Office

Dobongsan Mountain Guide Map

Starting to Ascend the Hike Road

First Junction mark; 1.8km to Yeoseong Peak and 3 km to Obong Peak at Left

Easy Walking Hike Road at Beginning

Round and Squared Stone Stair Road

Yeoseongbong Peak on the Way Up at Right

Steep and Highly Slopped and Slippery Rocky Road under Safety Steel Pipe Support 

Yeoseongbong Rock Looks like Female Symbol

Triangle Peaks on the Bukhansan Mountain at Yeoseongbong Peak Position 

Obong Peak at Yeoseongbong View Position from Peak No 1 at lowest to No. 5 at highest.  

Exceptionally Clear View of Sapaesan Mountain at Yeoseongbong Peak Position

Landmark at Yeoseongbong; 1.2km to Obong Peak and 2.9km to Jawunbong Peak 

Comparably Easy Walking Ridge Road

Closer View of Obong Peak at Observation Position

Songchu Junction at Obong Ridge; 2.6km to Songchu Valley at Left and 1 km to Jawunbong Peak at Right.

Landmark; 700m to Jawunbong Peak.

Walking Down for a While through Stairs

Gorge between Jawunbong at left and Shinseondae at Right

Dobongsan Three Peaks Information at the Gorge 

Last Pitch Climbing over Heavily Steep and Slippery Rock Road to Shinseondae Summit. 

Manjanbong Peak at Shinseondae Summit Position

Jawunbong Peak at Shinseondae Summit Position

Remote Obong Peaks at Shinseondae Summit Position

Remote View of Bukhansan Mountain

Remote View of Sapaesan Mountain at Proper Observation Position on the Way Down 

More Clear View of Obong Peaks at Proper Observation Position on the Way Down

Seoul Bukhansan Moutain Climb in Korea-Obong Peak Course - Hike

1.     Date and Time : April 10, 2018 11:00~17:00 (6 hiours including break).

2.     Location : Bukhansan Mountain in Seoul.

Distance and Course : About 9.75km. Course is Obong Information =>Yeoseongbong => Obong (683m Above Sea Level) =>Songchu Water Fall => Songamsa (Temple) => Obong Information. As introduced at KNPS (Korea National Park Support) linked at below, you may shorten time and distance to 2 hours and 10 minutes and 6.5 km respectively in case you return from Obong Peak to Obong Information, not move to Songchu Water Fall. http://english.knps.or.kr/Experience/ParkContent.aspx?SEQUEN=25&ParkDiv=01&HikDiv02=01&MenuNum=1&Submenu=Npp&Third=HikingCourses&Fourth=01 ,

3.     Access :

There are many different way to come to Obong Information by means of public transportation. But I suggest you may use Subway (Line No. 3 or 6) Line connecting to local Bus line (NO. 34) which you get off Bulkhwang Stations at Line 3 or 6 and exit Gate 8 and walk about 280m at exit direction where take Bus No. 34 at Bus Stop-Bulkhwang Stations and get off Songchu Station (KNPS Song Chu Valley-34 times Bus Stops). You are requested to move from there to Obong Information on foot, about 1.1km and twenty minutes walking referring to Walking Map attached. If you use private car or taxi for the transportation, you may simply put the destination as Songchu Obong Information where you can start to straight forward to move Obong Peak Climb. In order to move here and there by public transportation, It is very hard to pay public transportation by cash or credit card in Korea. Therefore you should buy T Money (electronic card) which you can electronically pay to subway station or most bus in Korea. You can buy the T Money at Convenient shop everywhere or subway station ticketing office and call them how much money card you want. They will give you corresponding amount T Money Card against your payment.      

4.      Overall Remarks.

I have mainly introduced Mountain Climb or Trail to readers in Korean after visiting somewhat widely known to the Korean so far and sometime even in English. But I recently realized I would better change this introduction style to foreigners in English so that they could understand Mountain and Trail in Korea and they may possibly try to visit these places in reference to my Blogger introduction. This Obong peak Couse can be classified as medium high level difficulty and generally well organized with proper safety system as long as you keep following Course guideline and safety instruction. This Course is generally divided with Hilly and rocky at right direction (Yeoseongbong) and Songchu Valley Course at left (Songchu Water Fall). There is possibility you may choose right to left or left to right. But I suggest you better take right Course first as an ascending and secondly left Couse as a descending since right Course is sharper and harder slope than left Course. It is the most high light at this Course that you should not miss the outstanding beautiful Obong Peak as well as Yeoseongbong Peak. You may surprisingly question how these rocks standing on top of bigger mother rock at bottom and not rolling down under harsh weather like strong storm or heavy rain. Nature is strange and mystery which human can easily understand or solve. Please see the Obong picture attached.

5.     Detailed Course Information

I headed to Obong Information where situated at Bukhansan Mountain direction and started to climb up the Yeoseongbong after the information. I met Wuldae Swamp Observation after 5 minutes walking from the start and turned to left at that junction and found land mark saying 1.8km to Yeoseongbong. I walked the hill on the round shaped stone stair and turned left at hill top as you see at the attached photo and met land mark saying 1.5km after about 10 minutes walking from previous land mark. I encountered very sharp wooden stair as soon as finished rocky hill climb after about 50 minutes from previous land mark as you see at the photo attached and eventually touched down Yeoseongbong Peak after 10 minutes walking so hard and sharp wooden stair. As you see at the Picture of Yeoseong rock, shape of granite has been changed and transformed to just look like female pubic area. It is strange how this transformation is making resemble to human body. I took a nice photo of Dobongsan situating far distance from Obong and found the picture is so nice like I took a photo at the Dobongsan Mountain, visual distance is too good to photo at remote area today. It is 1.2km to Obong from there at Yeoseongbong. I started to walk ridge road with comparably mild slope and met Obong Peak after about 70 minutes climb from the Yeoseongbong. It was a land mark at Obong Peak saying 5 km to Songchu Parking Lot 2. I saw a beautiful Jawunbong land scape at the direction to descending to Songchu Parking Lot 2 and started to move to Songchu Water Fall. You should meet bigger rock in front of heading down after about 10 minutes walking down from Obong as an obstacle as you see at photo. Please turn right and keep walking on the rocky and hilly road with safety hand rope as photo view. You could find land mark saying 800m to Songchu Water Fall after 40 minutes walking down from the bigger rock obstacle and reach the Water Fall after further 15 minutes descending from the land mark. You could meet Songchu Ranger Station where they should take care of disasters at Bukhansan like accident of mountain climber or mountain fire. You could see Songamsa Temple at left after 15 minutes walking down from the Ranger Station and still continue walking down about 16 minutes more and meet Songchu Village at left. You may find the same road which you used this morning from the Bus Stop at Songchu Station to Obong Information and just keep walking down to the same Bus Stop but opposite side lane and take same bus number 34 heading to Subway Station at Bulkhwang Station and back to your origination.