Seoraksan Day 2

This day would be a contender for my favourite day so far. It starts with a buffet breakfast in the 2nd floor restaurant. All the good stuff - coffee, bacon, eggs, fruit etc. This will set me up for the day.

But then I'll need lunch, so a quick dash to the nearby 7-11. That's all sorted, so it's time to hit the park for a long hike!

My plan is to head for Daecheongbong peak. At 1700+ metres it is the highest peak in the park. Unfortunately it is also a 22 km round trip from the park entrance, with difficult hiking sections close to the peak. Doable if I hadn't spent so much time stuffing my face at breakfast. But the coffee ... 🤑

Anyway I'll play it by ear and see how it goes. The weather isn't that great when I start out, a fair bit of cloud about. The trail takes me past Bisondae rock. There are hikers coming the other way loaded up with backpacks. I suspect that they have stayed overnight in the park so as to ascend Daecheongbong peak at sunrise. Good for them! Some say hello to me, some don't.

One thing I notice about the trail is that I hear running water pretty much the whole time. This adds another dimension to the hike as the water and the gorges it runs through makes a great backdrop to the view.

Most of the trail comprises rock stairs, I have difficulty at times seeing where the trail goes. At one point I'm just looking at a pile of rocks ahead of me. I lose some time here making bad decisions. Eventually I ask a lady hiker coming the other way where the trail leads. She gestures to the right and I'm back on track.

Losing that time definitely takes Daecheongbong peak out of the equation. Instead I stop at at Yangpok shelter, which is 4.5 km short of the peak. There are a number of other hikers here, sitting at tables and eating. It's a perfect place for lunch.

There is another shelter 2 km further along the trail. I contemplate whether to head there, but decide against it as it will add at least 90 minutes to the day.

So it's around 6.5 km back to the park entrance. This will take me at least 2.5 hours but I have plenty of time. As I backtrack I see more people, just hope it's not massively crowded at the park entrance. The weather has brightened over the day so the beauty of the scenery is in full view.

Eventually I reach "civilisation" and walk into a cafe. As my time in the ROK is coming to an end, I splurge on the most expensive coffee I've ever had - a latte that sets me back 6500 KRW (over 7 AUD). Still, it's a nice setting and the music playing is not unappealing. And I get to sit down.

Back at the hotel, there's a crisis as the 2nd floor restaurant is booked out for a private function. I'm blithely told that the 9th floor bar/restaurant is available ... but not for me as it serves pasta and pizza only. This is the biggest problem staying in isolated areas. Fortunately there are pre-packaged meals available from the 7-11 store, so that will have to do.Read more