When I found out that Hallasan stands as the highest of all the mountains in South Korea, at the height of 1950 meters, I got quite excited and was sure it would be a great way to end my visit in this country. In order to be able to get to the summit, I had to register from one of the two available trails and I chose Seongpanak, which is easier and more gradual, although the route is longer. My plan was to go up Seongpanak and down Gwaneumsa, saving the more difficult part for later. It was also rumored to have better views along the way, which would be nice to look at while going down the mountain.
I made my way to the bus terminal early in the morning, and from there I took the bus all the way to the beginning of the trail, which took around 40 minutes. Looking around online, it seemed the trail was going to take about 5 hours one way, and as I was sure it would take me longer than that, I chose to eat my packed breakfast while walking, not wanting to waste anytime, especially as I knew I had to get to Jindallaebat Shelter by 1pm if I want to make it to the top of the mountain. At the same time, I had nearly 6 hours to do it, so I didn’t rush myself, trying to conserve energy for later on.
The road itself was as gradual as promised, with most of it being a very convenient trail. There were some shallow stairs to climb occasionally, but nothing that really worried me or my knees. Along the way, quite a few people passed me on their way to the top, while I passed others who stopped to rest for a few moments. It was fairly similar to other mountain trails that I hiked so far in South Korea, trees and tall leaves along both sides and not much of a view. That was a pretty boring section, but I hoped the view from the top would be worth it. Other people going along and the occasional rocky section provided a bit of interest, but not too much.
The road went on and on, and just like with previous hikes there was a map to tell me how far it is until the next point. It was nice to be able to see the progress, and eventually I made it to Sokbat Shelter, the first rest stop along the way. As I didn’t feel tired, I stopped for only a few moments to eat a snack and drink some water before moving upwards again, thinking it would be better to get to the second rest area sooner rather than later. This was also where I started to see the people who came in at first late going down the trail.
Somewhere between the two shelters along the trail to the top of the mountain there was a side trail leading to Saraoreum Observatory. The sign said it is a detour of about 40 minutes, but as I was making quite a good progress, I thought it would not be much of a problem. So off I went, climbing some wooden stairs and wondering if it would be like that the entire way. However, after about 10 minutes or so the stairs were over. Instead there was a wooden trail with a platform overlooking a lake at the end of it. There were people hanging out there, and I thought it was a bit weird that it didn’t take me long to get to the area, although it wasn’t that much of a view.
When I got to the platform I realized my mistake. The trail was not over. It was simply going inside the lake, so I had to take my shoes and socks off before going in. I thought it was going to be a fun little side track, even if the wind was a bit chilly. Once more, when I set foot in the water I realized my mistake. It was extremely cold, and for the first few seconds it was quite funny to look at complete strangers making faces and groaning at each other in an attempt to deal with it. I walked further into the lake, thinking I would get used to it, but it was quite the opposite. The water just felt colder, and I was barely able to move my legs. After a few more painful seconds where I stood in their water thinking whether or not I could make it, I gave up and went back to the wooden platform where I let my feet dry before wearing my socks and shoes, and getting back to the main trail. As great as the view might have been, it was not worth the torture for me.
Knowing I still have quite a climb ahead of me, I pushed on up the mountain. The road started to be a bit more difficult, with more stairs and rocky areas, although it was still fairly gradual and didn’t require too much effort. I started noticing some familiar faces along the way, as we were overtaking each other again and again whenever someone was stopping for food or water. Nothing really exciting or exceptional happened on the path, and eventually I made it to Jindallaebat Shelter, where quite a few people were hanging out and resting their feet, either on the way to or from the top of Hallasan.
Not feeling the need to stop and rest, I didn’t stay there for more than a couple of minutes. I went on along the trail, wondering how long it would take me to get from the shelter to the top, and what kind of view I would be able to see. Higher and higher up the trail, I was getting ever closer to reach the treetops and knew it wouldn’t be long until they were gone. Somehow I missed the moment when it happened, but at some point I looked ahead and the tall trees gave way to shrubs and bushes. I spotted someone taking some pictures along the trail and when I turned around to look behind me, I managed to see the view for the first time. The weather was clear and the visibility was great. Far down belong, there was the city, and beyond that there was the ocean. It was quite an enjoyable moment, and I simply stood there to take a look at a nice view on a nice day.
But the road was not over yet. I still had a climb to the top of Hallasan, and I resumed my hike. The last part of the trail was just stairs, going up until they disappeared from view. I could feel my knees stressing out a little and I took my time, stopping for a moment every now and then before moving on. Knowing I don’t have much left, along with the view behind me, was more than enough to push me forward, even if there were quite a few pauses along the way.
And then the road leveled out. I was at the top, able to see so much more than I thought I would, and on top of that there was also the crater lake which was a nice little addition. I got there in a little less than four hours, much sooner than I thought I would. Sitting there at the top, I admitted to myself that I didn’t find the view breathtaking. I have seen views in other parts of South Korea that I enjoyed a great deal more. To me, the unique point of Hallasan was not how great the view was, but rather that there was so much of it.
I stayed at the top of the mountain for a little while, thinking about it all and relaxing under the warm sun. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel tired at this point, and so I made my way over to Gwaneumsa Trail, the more difficult yet interesting one, and started my descent.
A few minutes down the road, and it was clear to me that it was a good choice to go down Gwaneumsa rather than down the exact trail I came from. The views were changing a little from the top of the mountain, but they were still quite enjoyable, and certainly more interesting than the boring faded green of Seongpanak. The narrow, steep stairs were no fun at all, but I felt it was better to endure it as the view from the trails were even better than the views at the top.
It was still relatively early on in the day, and there was plenty of time for people to make it to the top, so I saw quite a few people along the trail making their way up. Along the way, I stopped every now and then just to look at the views all around me and wondered how long it would be like that. I knew that at some point I’d be back under the trees, and the view would no longer be visible.
After a while I came across a bridge. At that point the trail supposedly changed from “difficult” to “normal”, all the way to Samgakbong Shelter. However, I did not feel any difference, although I also didn’t think the trail so far was much more difficult. It was more steep without a doubt, and that indeed made a difference, but I couldn’t help but think that the level of difficulty in the national parks of South Korea is determined by the amount of stairs in it. Instead of a challenge, it was simply a pain and stress test for my knees. If it wasn’t for the nice views the whole way down could’ve been a massive mistake.
When I finally got to Samgakbong Shelter and stopped there for a few minutes to rest, I started to feel a bit tired. On top of my knees, I could also feel my legs and the tension in the muscles. It wasn’t too bad though, and I didn’t want to stay in the area more than I had to, so after giving myself a bit more time to rest I resumed my hike down the tortuous trail of stairs on another “difficult” section.
If there weren’t stairs, there were rocks, and I had to keep my face looking down for the most part, looking at the ground to make sure I don’t trip over and injure myself. Whenever I did look up, I was both surprised and glad to find out I still had views to look at, even if some of them did start to disappear behind the trees.
I’m not really sure how long it took me, but eventually I made my way to the second rest area along the trail, Tamnagyegok Toilet. It was a much smaller area, and not many people were there by the time I arrived. Anyone who was there by that time, was on the way down. I sat there to eat my lunch and rest for a little while, watching as more hikers were emerging from the trail on their way to the bottom.
There was still quite a way to go, and I was determined to not stop for another break before I’ll reach the bottom. It took me by surprise when I found myself in front of another bridge, Tamnagyegok Mokgyo Bridge. I knew from looking at the map that once I cross that bridge, it will mark the beginning of the last section of the trail, with an “easy” difficulty.
Encouraged by the thought, I crossed it quite quickly. The road felt easier pretty much immediately. There were still stairs and rocks, but it was (or at least felt) more gradual and manageable. The mountain views were long gone at this point, and the main thing I could feel was the pain in my knees, but I didn’t want to stop on the trail, I just wanted to finish it and go back to the hostel so I could get some proper rest there.
It took me some effort to get there, but when I saw the end of the trail I couldn’t help myself but smile. I made it to the top of Hallasan and back down, and I felt proud of myself. Even though it was a bit disappointing and didn’t quite live up to my expectation, even though my knees were in pain, it was still a great hike that was worth the effort.
And that was it. The end of the hike, and the end of my adventure in South Korea. I came in without any planning, without doing research, and I had no idea what waited for me. I managed to learn about the history of South Korea, both recent and ancient history. I got to know the culture and the people, even if it was only a taste. The abundance of nature and the never ending stairs that might haunt me whenever I think of this place, the unique views and sights that were revealed to me along the way and on mountain tops. The good and the bad, and interesting and the boring, the social gatherings and the lonely days. It was quite a wild ride, and although toward the end I felt it was a bit too much for me, my adventure in South Korea was an incredible experience and I’m wholeheartedly glad that I chose to come to this country.