Baekdu Daegan // day 27 // Jukryeong - Gochiryeong

Baekdudaegan day 27.
Distance: 24.0km (434.9km), time spent: 9:53 (224:29).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 689m / 782m / 1439m.
Weather: Sunny, foggy, overcast.

High expectations are usually difficult to live with; bringing them along on a walk could also make things difficult. That can easily lead to disappointment. Between Jukryeong and Gochiryeong, the trail passes through the very heart of Sobaeksan National Park, and has been a stage that I have been looking forward to for a long time. Here the Baekdudaegan goes over an open ridge with views to both sides, through fields of azaleas that blooms pink in the spring. There is little I can do to see the azaleas blossoming, for that I am here at the wrong time of the year, but I will rejoice walking in an open landscape.

Warm sunlight over the landscape below the mountain, from a viewing platform on the way up towards 2. Yeonhwabong in the morning.

When I look out of the window early in the morning however, there is not much indication of an open landscape, even in the dark I can see that the fog is lying thick around the pass. I am setting forth at 6 o'clock, which is the earliest time I have started walking on the journey so far. My spirits are a little low in the start, when I walk up the seven kilometres long road in the beginning of the trail, where the Sobaeksan Optical Astronomy Observatory periodically has placed a series of installations of heavenly bodies next to the road. Outside the solar observatory itself stands the Earth, at the summit of Yeonhwabong is the Sun shining.

Below Sobaeksan the landscape is a waving sea of clouds.

Leading the way up from the foggy pass is the solar system. The sky changes colour from grey to blue, through the trees the early rays from the sun can be seen. And from a viewing platform, the sun are bathing the landscape below the mountain in warm sunlight. I stand for a long time at the place, enjoying the view, enjoying it while I can. Rather confusing they have given three of the summits here the same name, Yeonhwabong. The trail goes around 2. Yeonhwabong (1357m), I do not walk up to the summit itself. Which I regret afterwards. Below me is a waving sea of clouds, which the green ridges are rising up from. Saturn is located next to another viewing platform; in the horizon, I can see Birobong and Gukmangbong.

View back from Yeonhwabong, below lies the solar observatory and in the background is 2. Yeonhwabong.

At the summit of Yeonhwabong (1383m), I have passed by Mars, the solar observatory and the Earth. I stand next to the Sun beneath the light from the proper Sun in the sky, in the horizon in front of me lies the open ridge of Sobaeksan tempting under the blue sky. But the Sun is left behind at Yeonhwabong, from the summit the path descends down into a nice wooden section, where the autumn colours are starting to bear fruits. And returns up again to a landscape in movement, the sea of fog has started to move. Before 1. Yeonhwabong (1394m) clouds are rolling over the mountain.

A viewing platform with an installation of the Sun at the summit of Yeonhwabong. In the background, the open ridge the trail goes over in Sobaeksan.

And here where there is a blossoming sea of flowers in the spring, there is now a blossoming sea of fog. For a little while, I am frustrated, and a little bit disappointed. Then I take a deep breath and swallows the disappointment, even though there is not a view to be had, the walk is quite cool. The fenced in trail disappears into the maw of the fog, small trees and bushes emerges along the path as crippled figures. It does not rain, but it is a little bit gusty. On a side path, a small cabin materializes itself from the mist, nothing inside the cabin, but a good enough time to sit down and have a break.

After Yeonhwabong, the path disappears down into the woods, where autumn colours are starting to show.

From the little hut, there is a short way up through the clouds to Birobong (1439m), the highest summit in the national park. The plateau at the top is fenced in, with a large doltap and several monuments of stone resting on the ground. And it is also the first place where I meet other people today. A young couple from Germany on a round trip in South-Korea are here, they have climbed up from the Birosa-temple, we talk together for a while before we continues in our separate ways. They down again to the temple, and I over an open ridge with a small sign that the clouds are lifting. The fog is not lying so thick over the alpine grass now.

In the springtime you walk here through a blossoming sea of azaleas, now the trail goes through a blossoming sea of fog on both sides of the open ridge.

The path are after a while leaving the rubber-cover on the ground, which is put down on the path so the hikers does not damage the vegetation, I have been walking on through most of Sobaeksan. Red hues are appearing on the leaves, more of the valley floors below are visible. At Gukmangbong (1420m), I eat lunch amongst the boulders at the top. The disappointment has left my body, changed into a joy of walking in a landscape I have been looking forward to. In the book, there was a picture from the path going from Gukmangbong, a walk that appeared to be going over what looked like a desolate moor, something in me wanted to experience the same thing. Since the clouds now has climbed further up towards the sky, I get to do exactly that. I wander if Prince Maui, son of King Gyeongsun of the Silla kingdom, felt the same way when he was standing on the summit on his flight to Geumgangsan.

Below Birobong, this small cabin emerged out of the mist.

Then the Baekdudaegan leaves the parade street through Sobaeksan and moves down into the forest. The embrace of the fog are changed to the embrace of the woods. The last stretch before Gochiryeong, past the Neujeunmaegijae and Madangchi passes, is a long and pleasant walk through a more familiar sight on the journey. At Gochiryeong, it is quiet; a light wind blows around the sanshingak and the jangseung-poles there.

At the summit of Birobong, no views.

I pitch my tent on the helipad above the pass, among buzzing wasps. Water is located a little down on the north side of the pass, where someone has left behind a bag of candy next to the water source. I take my chance and both eat something of the candy and drink of the water. For dinner, I eat one of the Korean combat rations I bought at Jukryeong. It contains rice, vegetables and meat; it tastes good enough, but there could have been more meat.

Leaving Gukmangbong, over a desolate landscape, the dense layer of clouds has climbed higher up on the sky.

When I sit and relax here in Gochiryeong, the little frustration I had underway has been forgotten. Instead, this has been one of the best days of my walk so far. But the early morning and varied walk through Sobaeksan has made its mark, satisfied I let the Sandman come on a visit at half past eight.

Inside the sanshingak at Gochiryeong.

<- JukryeongBuseoksa ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 26 // Jeosuryeong - Jukryeong

Baekdudaegan day 26.
Distance: 19.1km (410.9km), time spent: 08:50 (214:36).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 800m / 689m / 1315m.
Weather: Rainy and windy.

The sound of raindrops on the tent in the morning is a good indication of which weather sign this day is born under. I quickly get out of the sleeping bag, fortunately enough it is not so early in the morning. The pavilion at the pass is quite handy in this situation, I take everything I have got in the tent and put it in the pavilion in shelter for the rain. Then I put down the tent. While I sit inside under the roof of the jeongja and eat breakfast, tired, the rain is declining. Quiet before the storm, this reminds me of the morning at Ihwaryeong.

Morning in the jeongja at Jeosuryeong. Tired. Early morning, awakened by rain on the tent.

Leaving Jeosuryeong in an increasing rain, a walk under a grey sky heavy with water is awaiting me.

I am now effectively outside of Woraksan, which I left at Beoljae. To Jukryeong the trail is going over no less than eleven summits, where seven of them are named. After that, I will be in Sobaeksan National Park. It is quiet in the start when I set out from Jeosuryeong, and then the first raindrops breaks the silence. The path is luckily enough good to walk on, because that is what I mainly is mentally preparing myself for now. The rain increases in scale.

No views to be had. The trees and the valley disappears in the mist and rain.

I can forget about getting any views now, a grey wall of nothingness is what you get to see. In the forest, the clouds are floating ghosts that drifts through the trees, which makes them indistinct from each other. Everything is melting into each other. In the rain and mist the peaks and passes looks the same. Rainy weather here somewhat resembles the topography, it is undulating; it is lifting a little bit, before it gets even worse, interchangeably. The path is vanishing in the weather; you have to keep a closer look at the ribbons. There is no views to be able to separate the ridges from each other at this point.

In the mounting mists, the atmosphere in the forest enters a mystical realm.

Close by the summit of Myojeokbong, the landscape hidden today.

At Myojeokryeong, I slip across the southern border of Sobaeksan, with the border also marking a small change in the path. It becomes more challenging, though it is not an exposed ridge the trail is passing over today. There is no typhoon either, but it is still wet. The views are limited to the grey world that resides where the leaves on the trees ends. Stairs brings me out of the same grey world to the summit of Dosolbong (1315m), at the same time it has become a welcome break in the rainy weather.

Stairs brings me out of the grey world just before Dosolbong. By climbing out onto some rocks, I could glimpse out over the grey sea of clouds.

On both the way up and at the summit, I can look down upon a grey sea, where the trees disappears slowly down into the deep. It is quiet, but in between there are some sounds rising up from the veiled forest below. I have not met anyone during the walk today, the Koreans probably knows better than to be out and walking here on days like these. Still, it is quite cool to be standing up here. A sign is marked with 'Falling!', but even in this weather, it is quite obvious that it is a long way down behind the fence.

View from Dosolbong. Nothing much to see, where the forest disappears down into the deep.

I tear myself loose from the summit and continues further on the trail, which passes over yet another summit, Samhyeongjebong (1225m). Getting nearer to Jukryeong, I hear gradually growing sounds through the forest. The trail is going steep down through low shoots of bamboo, before I break out of the trees next to a huge and magnificent jeongja at Jukryeong. The sounds I have been hearing is coming from the restaurant at the pass, which is playing loud music. I can, slightly confused, acknowledge that I have arrived at my destination for today. I saunter tired over to the northern side of the pass, where I smilingly sees the Hangeul writing for minbak (민박) on a restaurant.

At the summit of Dosolbong, where there was a respite from the rain when I arrived.

Everything is good again when you get a shower (though cold this time) and changed to dry clothes. The room has a heated floor (so-called ondolbang), so I spread my clothes on the floor to dry. I am the only guest at the place. The person working there is not speaking English, but he seems nice, and we are able to communicate a little bit. He shakes his head when I am telling where I have been walking from, but he looks impressed of the time I spent walking. Then again, I have not been doing much other than walk today either.

Descent to Jukryeong through low shoots of bamboo.

The dinner he is making is at least very good, with a lot of meat, so I eat heartily. Mr. Cho is calling, and we have a pleasant talk in the afternoon. Outside it is raining relentlessly; the clouds are still drifting through the loud music that is played outside of the restaurant. I have get to experience a lot more of Korean weather in the later days.

The huge jeongja at Jukryeong.

<- JeosuryeongGochiryeong ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 25 // Ansaengdal - Jeosuryeong

Baekdudaegan day 25.
Distance: 14.0km (391.8km), time spent: 9:19 (205:46).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 614m / 800moh / 1077m.
Weather: Sunny, but with a thin haze on the sky.

When on long walks, usually something instigates a change of plans underway, both small and big. The typhoon a couple of days ago made a little mess of my original thoughts, so after having cleaned up the mess, I ended up with a slightly different plan. It is too short a walk to Beoljae (7km), so I set course for Jeosuryeong. I reap the harvest of that decision, when I have to pay a stiff price for water.

Breakfast in Hwangjangsan Minbak with Jae-young Lee (to the left) and two other hikers.

To walk in the dark here is something I have decided to avoid, mainly because I want to see what the landscape here has to offer. Hence, early mornings, to get going at the moment it has become light, has become a routine. Therefore, I do not mind when the owner of the minbak wakes me at 5 o'clock in the morning, telling me that breakfast is ready. It is eaten together with Jae-young Lee and the two other hikers from yesterday, who afterwards gets on going towards Beoljae. Jae-young is being driven by the owner of the minbak to Jeosuryeong, while I make use of my legs to go there. The people at the minbak here has been most hospitable, so a big praise to them.

The small temple in Ansaengdal.

I do not depart at once, yesterday I discovered there is a small temple here that I have to go down and look at. Now, I have never been particular religious of me, but beautiful buildings however does the religions know how to make. If I am being spiritually carried away after the visit to the temple I do not know, but it is fortunately going a lot faster up and back to Chagatjae than first presumed. I reach the pass at the same time as low clouds are drifting through the tall grass; Woraksan is a little bit more evasive to get a look at than the previous national parks I have been going through.

A funky ridge between Chagatjae and Beoljae. You can see one of the ropes you have to use along the ridge being stretched around a huge boulder.

Between Beoljae and Chagatjae, after a nice walk in the woods from the mysterious jangseung-poles at Jageun Chagatjae, a thin and funky ridge is rising up as a natural obstacle on the way. From far below on the way up, I can see a rope stretch itself around a huge boulder on the exposed ridge the trail is passing over, I know what is coming. In the usual way, ropes are in place on the most exposed places. The previous funky ridge was struck by bad weather; this is traversed in significantly better weather. Even though there is a somewhat hazed veil on the sky, which prevents the horizons to meet my view. Cheering voices can be heard from the thin ridge further away, I wonder if it is the other two hikers from Hwangjangsan Minbak, which however has taken its name from the highest peak you pass over on the way to Beoljae, Hwangjangsan (1077m).

On the way over the exposed ridge before Hwangjangsan.

Excited about this part of the trail, I let my feet dangle outside the edge of a helipad I arrives at after Hwangjangsan that is naturally cut out of the mountain. The contours of the mountains on the other side of the valley can be glimpsed through the veil. Before Pyebaegijae, I make a wrong turn, with the reward adding some additional height meters to my tally before I am back on track. Which leads to a meeting with three other hikers. A somewhat halting conversation follows before I lightly smudged with grape juice in my beard continues down to Beoljae.

View from and pause at a helipad after Hwangjangsan.

There I step out of the lawless group to a quiet pass. Water is located a small walk on the road down from the pass. The jeongja here is housing some giant wasps, so lunch is prepared and eaten and the benches below instead.

Beoljae.

From Beoljae to Jeosuryeong there is a less exciting walk, which mainly is consisting of a tiresome ascent up to a nameless peak and a just as strenuous ascent up towards Munbokdae (1077m). More amusing is it that I meet one of the retired policemen from Mungyeong Saejae again. A small herd of wild boars are rummaging and snorting below the path on the way up to Munbokdae. Jeosuryeong can be seen through the trees a long time before I get to the pass.

From Beoljae the trail started by going through this tunnel of vegetation.

So, it is here at Jeosuryeong that I have chosen to the spend the night. It is a nice enough jeongja here, some nice benches and enough space to pitch my tent. Just nearby is a closed hyugeso, which has definitely seen its better days. Otherwise, there is nothing here, and least of all, water. I got the number for a taxi here from Jae-young, so I call it to arrange transport to the important liquid element.

View from the trail between Beoljae and Jeosuryeong.

It takes a long time before the taxi arrives, in the meantime I just relax at the place, but I wonder for some time if I have made myself understood. Eventually it shows up, it turns out that it is the same taxi driver that I drove with yesterday. So the long waiting time is understandable. It will cost me 90 000won for the taxi drive, in other words I will pay an expensive price for the water. The ride goes to the same shop as yesterday as well. I passed Beoljae on the way, so I could just have stopped there and filled up with water. But, it is actually a nice drive. And for the first time, I get the feeling of being out on some wild plains here in Korea. I drive through a mysterious landscape, on a desolate stretch of road with trees alongside it like an avenue.

Jeosuryeong. I pitched my tent on the grass behind the monument to the left.

Back at Jeosuryeong, I binge out on a double dose of ramyon noodles, rice, braised beef in soya sauce and two buns for dinner. Few, if any, cars drives past the pass in the evening. Quietly I sit in the dark and relaxes after the day. I receive a call from home; it is nice to hear how they fare back home.

In a little village to buy water (and some more food, while I am at it), an expensive drive.

<- AnsaengdalJukryeong ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 24 // Haneuljae - Ansaengdal

Bakedudaegan day 24.
Distance: 19.7km (377.8km), time spent: 9:33 (196:27).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 550m / 614m / 1115m.
Weather: Slightly overcast.

It felt good for me to be going again, though I only had a one-day break, but I am not sure if my legs and knees are sharing the same optimism. They have begun to feel the kilometres carrying a heavy load on this perpetual rollercoaster ride. There will be no respite for them today either, the trail continues its undulating way onwards, but today I will meet a special object on the Baekdudaegan. Which could bring about a renewed optimism, or the opposite. A bus load of hikers are being dumped at the pass in the morning.

Morning haze in the valley below Woraksan and Poamsan.

Up towards Poamsan the trail is today offering a small riddle, in the shape of where the path really is going. At a small water source, the path is dividing, and there are no ribbons by any of the alternatives. I choose the path that seemingly follows the contours of the ridge at most and is the steepest, which sort of has been the trademark of the trail so far. As it usually chooses to confront an ascent by going straight up it, instead of going gradually upwards. Further up, after some uncertainty, a lonesome ribbon is fluttering conformingly. Down in the valley there is a thin layer of haze, with a dawning grey layer of clouds and morning sun, faintly dramatic.

Stairway to Poamsan, with a view of Woraksan National Park.

After an outlook to all sides from Poamsan (962m), it changes between forests and views on the way onward. The stretch today is described as remarkably in the guidebook, but even though I often get the opportunity to look out over this part of South-Korea, I am not completely captivated today. More remarkably are the names of some of the peaks here, Kkokdubawibong (838m) and Ggoiggoribong, the latter is however not situated on the trail.

View down towards Haneuljae and over to the ridge I walked on yesterday.

The trail is here moving through the southern part of Woraksan that forms a part of the Sobaeksanmaek mountain range (sanmaek means mountain range). This range passes through Woraksan and Sobaeksan before it links up with Taebaksanmaek on the eastern coast of Korea. In the heart of Woraksan however, I am not. The path here does not look like the customary paths you usually encounter in the national parks, it is easy to walk on and is mostly clear and visible, but are not fenced in, as I have been accustomed to. The highest mountain in the national park, Munsubong (1161m), is located further north from me. The deciduous trees of Woraksan is supposed to be coloured blood red in the fall and I passed a tree in full colour fire, but it is too early to experience in at its most colourful.

At the summit of Poamsan.

And if there were any uncertainty if the trail was closed from Joryeong, there is not any at Magolchi. My lawless walk continues. I am not alone in doing so; I meet some other hikers inside the closed area, after Kkokdubawibong and before Daemisan (1115m). I greeted two of them by the way at Haneuljae in the morning; we get a longer talk this time.

The trail, where it meanders through the trees in Woraksan.

A section of the part is heavily torn up by wind, with fallen trees blocking the path several times. In between, I get the feeling of not being quite sure that I am on the right way, especially when there are long stretches between the ribbons. But when a monument of stone suddenly appears in the middle of the path, I can smile broadly. Or think of everything that remains of toil. The monument is the halfway marker of the Baekdudaegan in South-Korea, 367.325km between Cheonwangbong and Jinburyeong. I choose to celebrate that I have finished walking half of the trail, so I bring the bottle of soju out in the light and makes a toast for the journey so far.

View from Kkokdubawibong, behind to the right Poamsan with Haneuljae below to the left.

At the summit of Daemisan, which is on its way to be overgrown.

Chagatjae is situated in a spoiled spot with tall grass beneath a power mast, and there are over thirty kilometres to the next place where I can buy more provisions, so I decide to go down to the little mountain village of Ansaengdal. At Hwangjansan Minbak there are no one present, when I call I have some problems making myself understood, until I hear that the one I am talking to is standing in the apple orchard right next to me. There are no rooms left at the place, but I can pitch my tent outside, get a shower at the place and if I want, dinner and breakfast. I am extremely satisfied.

At the halfway marker of the Baekdudaegan.

Arriving in a taxi is Jae-young Lee and by that nicely solved the problem of getting to a store to shop (there are no shops at the village). He is a pleasant acquaintance and since he is speaking English, he gets the job as an interpreter. Jae-young is also hiking the Baekdudaegan and has today walked from Beoljae to Jeosuryeong. I acquires the taxi, which drives me to the nearest shop in another village a little distance away. Yet another micro adventure away from the trail, I sit curious and watch the landscape, the places and the people in this culture far from my own. In the store, I stock up on food for the upcoming days and something for the evening (chips, beer, sweets).

Colour fire in the trees, the autumn is not far away and in Woraksan the deciduous trees will be coloured blood red.

I eat dinner together with Jae-young and two other hikers also staying at the place, good food and pleasant, but unfortunately with a little bit too much seafood that I cannot eat (allergic). In the evening my thoughts are going back to the journey I have behind me, it is strange to know that I am now halfway. I am a little bit nervous about if I am able to complete the whole trail, I am tired and my knees are not in their best shape.

Pitching my tent outside Hwangjangsan Minbak in the small mountain village Ansaengdal. The picture is taken by ae-young Lee.

<- HaneuljaeJeosuryeong ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 23 // Mungyeongeup - Haneuljae

Baekdudaegan day 23.
Distance: 16.5km (358.1km), time spent: 8:27 (186:54).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 327m / 550m / 934m.
Weather: Slightly overcast, nice in the evening.

Three weeks actually passed on the journey, before I got my first day with really bad weather. Admittedly, it had rained a little bit in the morning when I went from Keunjae to Jigijae, and there had been some days with many dark and ominous clouds, but the typhoon was the first proper encounter with Korean weather. I shall not complain, even though I lost two days due to this. Today I set my sights on walking to Haneuljae, the pass that I had planned to go to two days ago. I have had a nice stay here in Mungyeongeup, but now it is time to continue my marvellous adventure.

Joryeong Sanshingak. This well built and well-ornamented shrine stands where Baekdudaegan comes down to the pass and Joryeonggwan.

From Mungyeongeup I have to get up to Joryeong again to continue further on the Baekdudaegan. I pass through a quiet town in the morning. I pass yet another film shoot at Jogokgwan, walking between actors and extras. The hostess from the restaurant further up passes me in a car, waving to me. Pays them a visit on the way, where I receive a cup of kopi (coffee) by the friendly hosts. The weather is completely different now than it was when I came down two days ago. With the now nice weather, I get to take a better look at Joryeonggwan and the surrounding area.

Ominous clouds and blue sky over Mungyeong Saejae.

'Back to Daegan' then. From the bird pass, the trail enters Woraksan National Park and passes over the eastern ridge that forms the V around the Yeongnam road. And as usual, the day always starts with a climb up. There is some uncertainty whether this part of the trail is closed or not; in the guidebook this section is marked as closed, but there are no signs that it is closed at the beginning of the trail here. However, I am not letting me be affected by it and allows me to be brought up to 922m and Mapaebong.

Bugammun, an ancient and forgotten gate to Mungyeong Saejae.

At the summit of Bubong, view back towards Joryeong, which you can see almost in the lower centre of the picture.

The view from here is not as cheerful as it was down at Saejae, dark clouds is pictured above the provincial park. I fear another bout with the wet element from above. The trail is today as well passing by fortress walls from bygone days, it moves alongside the old and forgotten northern gate to Mungyeong Saejae, Bugammun, and forward to Dongammun (east rock gate). There has been a lot of history on the trail these last days.

Bubong, seen from below, where Baekdudaegan passes over several footbridges.

Bubong (934m) is tempting you away from the trail, tempting you to climb yet another series of ropes, tempting with a view over the white, steep and rocky peaks of Woraksan. They lies there resting, the white sides of the mountains pale in the waning light of the sun. The clouds rolling inwards. Climbing up after me to the summit comes another hiker, Jong Hoon, on a round trip from Mungyeongeup over Jubong and Juheulsan.

The summit of Tanhangsan.

Jubong (1079m) is the highest point on the Juheulsan-mountain, but it is not part of the spiritual backbone. Hence, the trail is not going the 2.6km to the view from the summit. Jong Hoon is going there; he overtakes me again at the junction where I stand pondering whether I should go the additional 5 kilometres. We stay talking for a time; he thinks Norway sounds nice, but cold. Jubong is left in peace, and so the hardship for my somewhat hurting knees will be lesser.

A huge cliff with the appearance like a thumb, nearby Gulbawi.

At Gulbawi, a huge rocky cliff is blocking the path; it is as the mountain gives you the thumbs up, an enormous 'like'. A curiosity to climb around on. Before you lower your shoulders, you have done it, the mountain has given its approval, and walk down the final stretch to Haneuljae. Where a stele stands like a thin index finger to the sky.

The stele at Haneuljae, like an index finger that points up to the sky.

Haneuljae, reading about the place in the guidebook made me think of a very secluded place, lies at the end of a road that ends abruptly. Continuing further on from the road, there is only an old mountain road that goes into the woods and down towards an old temple. There is a building here, Haneuljae Sanjang, which is widely decorated with ribbons and paintings. Outside an old man is sitting, who turns out to be the owner of the place, 72 years old. I make me some food while we are talking together. He is giving his consent to me putting up my tent outside the building. I could have slept inside if I wanted it, but he said it was quite untidy there now, so he thought it would be better for me to sleep in the tent anyway. Instead, he is offering me a bottle of makgeolli and some apples. He himself lived further down the road.

Haneuljae Sanjang. Situated in a quiet and remote part. The owner of the place sitting outside the house.

The tent is pitched when I walk under the trees on the old road that goes down to the temple of Mireuksaji. Before the Great Yeongnam road was built, this was one of the main thoroughfares over the mountains here. The way flows quietly down the valley, with the leaves rustling slowly in the wind, past trees formed like ballerina dancers. There is prayer songs coming from Mireuksaji. The temple contains a 10m tall and thin Buddha-statue. The sun is waning when I goes up again, where more food and a relaxing evening inside my little shelter is awaiting me.

The 10m tall Buddha-statue in the Mireuksaji-temple.

<- MungyeongeupAnsaengdal ->