Baekdudaegan day 45.
Distance: 14.1km (761.4km), time spent: 9:46 (383:59).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 800m / 500m / 1244m.
Weather: Nice and clear, cold in the beginning, then warmer.
It is still in the wee hours of the morning when I rise up from the hard bed. As used to rise up early and then walk to the next place as I am, it feels kind of unreal to think of that this is probably the last day on my walk. That tomorrow will the line of days where I am moving towards a given target be broken, that I actually am at the goal. My breakfast is several sweet pastries that I bought yesterday evening. Sokcho is still in the dark when I leave its outskirts in a taxi up towards the bygone hyugeso at Misiryeong. We drive past the huge Del Pina resort that I could sit and look down upon the previous night, illuminated by a countless number of lights.
Sunrise over the East Sea and Sokcho from a small plain above Misiryeong.
At Misiryeong there are now several cars parked, with people sleeping inside them. It is dark, cold and gusty outside; a cup of coffee is warming me while I am waiting for enough light to start walking. The path from here is clear, even though it is closed. Just above the pass, there is a small plain with a good view down the valley towards Sokcho. The sun has begun to rise up from the haze over the East Sea, and emits a reddish glow on the sky. From here, Ulsanbawi is seen as a narrow silhouette. Further up above me there are more than one blitz flashing, I am not alone on the trail. It is a worthy start of a last day.
Morning splendour over Baekdudaegan above Misiryeong and below Sangbong. Ulsanbawi and Daecheonbong are clearly visible.
The road over the pass is left further and further behind me as I go upwards, I can see the huge fields of boulders that I passed over yesterday and Daecheonbong is still standing vigilant above the dinosaur spine. The trail involves quite a lot of scrambling and climbing. There are clear signs of military activity in the area, with various bulwarks and trenches of varying quality. Remains of radio wire that lies like tripwire across the path. And is there not a North-Korean reconnaissance patrol I can see sneaking through the forest further down? Probably not, but there has been rumours of such visits in the area.
View from Sangbong towards Sinseonbong.
At the summit of Sangbong (1244m), it was supposed to be an egg-shaped doltap, in the guidebook depicted with snow inside the crevices on the cairn, but there were no traces of it there now. For a small moment, I wonder if I have gone too far, that the subsidiary summit I had passed actually was Sangbong, but it could not be correct. I can hear the boys ahead of me on the path shout from Sinseonbong; the Koreans do has a habit of yelling from the summits. The trail continues in the same style towards that peak, with scrambling and boulders as obstacles, but also going more through woods.
The summit of Sinseonbong (1214m) is not situated directly on the trail, eventually you can say that the trail does not cross directly over the summit. The name of the peak signifies a place for departure of spirits; it is a fitting moment standing on the summit on the day that I probably departs from the spiritual backbone of Korea. The plaque with the name and altitude of the peak has partly fallen apart. The view is great beneath the blue sky; there is a small veil of haze lying over the landscape below towards the sea.
More great views, from the summit of Sinseonbong in the direction of Ulsanbawi and Daecheonbong.
From Sinseonbong the trail makes its way down, past several military relics, some fenced in by barbed wire. At Daeganryeong (ridge pass) I leave Seoraksan National Park, and this closed section of the trail. It is a small pass down in the forest; small windshields are created of rocks amongst the trees, signposts and information boards. A group of hikers are sitting and having lunch, soju, makgeolli and food in large quantities. I take a short break at the pass while I listen to the satisfied mumbling of the Koreans.
Descent to Daeganryeong from Sinseonbong, in the horizon you can see the last peak on the Baekdudaegan before Jinburyeong.
I decide to eat lunch on a more quiet spot further up, at a rocky outcrop with views back towards Sinseonbong and Sangbong. It feels almost a little bit sad to think about that this is probably the last time here that I prepare my usual mix of noodles, rice and ham, but to be honest, I am a little bit tired of it. Outside the national park, the forest gets more prominent again, but it is a pleasant path through it. I meet
Dong Chon with two friends that are congratulating me of having done the trail. Now, I am not quite finish with the walk yet, but it is not many kilometres left now. Satisfied with myself, I shortly after tumble out of the clean air and fall flat on my face, I am tired.
I arrive at a summit carrying for me an unknown name, and from there I can look down towards Nunmulgogae and the abandoned ski resort there, knowing that further beyond the crest lies Jinburyeong. A group of walkers enjoys the weather at the summit and offers me makgeolli. My body aches, but I cannot do anything but smile. The trail dips beneath the forest again before it takes me up to the last summit on the Baekdudaegan (the trail, not the ridge, which continues further on over several summits on its way to Baekdusan), Masanbong (1051m). There are voices all around me now.
At Daeganryeong, a signpost and a group of walkers having lunch.
Standing above some trees below, I can see the clock tower of the ski resort, there time is standing still. On the other side of the valley lies the last ridge before the demilitarized zone and North-Korea. It feels strange to be standing here, when I start to walk down from the peak I will at the same time walk down from Baekdudaegan. It is a little distance down for someone with sore feet. It is as if the knowledge that I am soon finished, makes me more aware of the signals from the body, it knows that it will get some rest soon. If I had been talking loud while I am walking down, you would have heard a series of grunts for each time I put down my foot. I now feel on the body how the others with blisters walking the Camino felt it (I do not have any blisters though).
View from Masanbong. Below lies Nunmulgogae and the abandoned alpine resort. In the background, the last peaks before the demilitarized zone between North- and South-Korea.
The trail goes past the decayed and deserted place, as curious as I am; I have to go in amongst the decay. Large and empty buildings where the vegetation now grows free, a ghost town. The feeling of being watched while I walk between the buildings. Voices that disappears in the air. The hands of the clock displays different times depending on which side you look at. There is however still beauty in decay, the trees here has beautiful red leaves. It is a strange ending of a long walk.
Walking between the empty and deserted buildings in Alps Ski Resort, a ghost town so to speak, the hands on the clock tower has stopped on different times depending on which side you look at. The vegetation has begun to take over.
I also visit the small place next to it, Nunmulgogae, which now seems like a very sleepy place, with some dilapidated houses there as well. From here, it is less noteworthy; the trail passes by some quiet farms. I make a huge smile next to a sign telling me that it is 1km left to Jinburyeong, 1km. An adventure is nearing its end. I come out on a road, where on a small lawn are put several plaques and tablets, supposedly by more wealthy Koreans to commemorate their hike on the Baekdudaegan.
Then, through the trees can I see Jinburyeong and the large stele that marks the end of the trail. I come out of the trees past the last of the fluttering ribbons. Walks over to the large stele, places a hand on the rock. My legs are aching, my feet are sore, my knees are knackered and I have never felt as thin as I do now, but I have made it. 45 days I have spent on walking from Cheonwangbong on the spiritual backbone of Korea. It is not a huge fanfare upon my arrival at Jinburyeong, just an uninterested gardener that does not care much. The occasion calls for a small victory toast of soju, I have now officially finished the trail.
One kilometre left, a somewhat unreal moment.
Unofficially, I have a very small hope of, but not particularly faith in, to get to do a fitting epilogue. In the guidebook Roger Shepherd and Andrew Douch goes up to the summit of Hyangnobong inside the military zone at the border of the DMZ. The peak lies at 1269m about 2km south of the 4km wide demilitarized zone. They are escorted up, and there were limits to where they could go and what they could do. The only possibility to find out if I am allowed is to ask at the army camp at Jinburyeong, which I do. I ask nicely, but those posted there does not have the authority to allow it, something I had not expected either. So, after that the walk is both officially and unofficially finished. I cross the street for a celebratory beer at a restaurant and send a message back home that I have made it (which promptly causes me to receive a call from home). Later, I found out that Shepherd and Douch got permissions from higher up (no, not that high up), something not anyone can expect.
Jinburyeong, my backpack placed next to the large stele that marks the end of the Baekdudaegan trail. 45 days after I left Cheonwangbong in Jirisan, I have completed the trail. Satisfied and tired.
Jinburyeong consists of a small street with shops and restaurants, a museum, several memorials, aforementioned Baekdudaegan stele and an army camp. I find myself a place to stay at a pension just above the small main street, which is run by a friendly host, almost as a small apartment. In the evening, I eat dinner and drink some beers in one of the restaurants below the pension. The rest of evening is spent celebrating a little bit in my room. I know that I am done, but it feels weird, you do not understand it completely until the next day, when you no longer put on your backpack and continue walking (and still often not, then as well). That being said, my body is probably quite happy by it. Satisfied, it gets dark over the end of the trail, Baekdudaegan.
A journey is over, another begins.
<- MisiryeongJinburyeong ->
