Distance: 12.8km (747.3km), time spent: 10:46 (374:13).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 1200m / 800m / 1381m.
Weather: Very nice, but strong wind.
Wake up from the windy night and feel the cold chill of the morning. It has been the coldest night on the walk so far, and the wind has been at it during the whole night. Still, I have slept relatively warm and good, even though I woke up a couple of times when it was at its worst. Wind can make a lot of noise. I choose to walk a little bit before I will eat breakfast; it is chilly down between the spines of the dinosaur. First, however, I would get to see the sunrise, so I climb on top of a cliff nearby to see the first rays of the sun appear over the edge. There are silhouettes of people at the top of Sinseondae. Charged by the sunrays, I lift up my backpack and continue walking.
Sunrise from the dinosaur spine.
The trail fortunately does not go straight over all the rocky formations and spires, which would have demanded climbing equipment and had been a huge challenge, but winds itself around, up and sometimes over them. Ropes and small railings you could let either hang for decoration on the steepest parts or if you wish, use them as aid to get up or down. It is a spectacular walk where the view is nothing less than majestic. If the trail further into the DMZ had been just as fantastic as this one, I almost could have continued walking on it without taking care of the chances of being shot or stepping on a mine. So great is it, though you should not go around and encourage people to go there.
Ulsanbawi, an infamous and huge rock outside of Sokcho.
When the sun and the walking has warmed me enough, I sit down below a cliff and prepare breakfast, which becomes a sight for many a hiker passing by. Even though it is still early in the day, I meet many hikers, it is clear that Seoraksan is one of the most popular national parks here. It seems that almost of the national parks has some kind of a main artery going through them; this must be the one in Seoraksan. Some hikers says straight out that this is their favourite mountain in South-Korea, I shall not argue against them. There are a lot of smiling, and tired, faces out walking. Jeong is something that is never forgotten, a walker rummages through his backpack to give me a pack of noodles.
After coming up to a small platform between two spires, I just have to let go of my backpack and climb on top of one of the spires. It is a path that requires some concentration, but up at the top of the spire the reward is great. A good base to see how cool the spine of the dinosaur really is when you are standing on the midst of it. Me and another has to play daredevil and balances out on a thin ledge with a fall down on all sides except the one we went out on. Daecheonbong is watching intently from above.
Up at the top of a spire on Gongryong Neungseon there is tough view down towards the valley below with Sokcho and the East Sea in the background.
The dinosaur throws me off at Madeungryeong Samgeori, where there is a path going down in the direction of Sokcho, Biseondae and the temples by that entrance to Seoraksan. From one of the temples in the valley below, Gyejoam, there is a short way up to the characteristic edge or huge boulder of Ulsanbawi, which has been in my line of sight since yesterday. Ulsanbawi is an infamous rocky formation that juts up from the landscape like a knife's edge, and is offering a thin, somewhat demanding and spectacular walk across. It is tempting to go down to see all of what the valley below has to offer, but my journey continues further into the forbidden section after Madeungryeong, 300 meters further up.
From the top of the spire, I can look down upon other hikers that are climbing on the spine of the dinosaur.
The landscape changes character a little after Madeungryeong, a kind of smaller version of the tremendous ridge I have passed, something that makes me give it the name of Dinosaur Jr. Spine. The biggest difference is though that the path is worse, more overgrown and there are many loose stones on it that makes it a little bit difficult walking here. It does not take away the experience of a nice hike. The wind that calmed down after the sunrise this morning has now begun to blow with heavy force again. So much that I on the top of a cliff are not able to stand upright, but has to sit down to take a picture. Balancing out on the ledge that I did earlier, would now have been really dangerous.
Balancing out on the tip of a ledge, in the background Daecheonbong and the part of Gongryong Neungseon I have walked over.
The cliffwalk, unlike the ridgewalk, is over when I set off down towards Jeohangryeong. The descent crosses over a large field consisting of large boulders, it is heavy work, but doable. In very bad weather, this part of the route would have been difficult. Jeohangryeong is now a very quiet pass with several crossing paths, but these are now mostly completely overgrown. From the pass, you climb steep up towards Hwangcheolbong (1381m), on the way I pass a 'fake' summit with a homemade sign on that makes me slightly confused.
From the 'fake' summit (1368m), I can follow the course of the dinosaur jr. spine and the dinosaur spine towards Daecheonbong that is towering in the background. In the horizon to the north lies the DMZ and the mountains in North-Korea, I can see the summit of Hyangnobong and the abandoned ski resort at Nunmulgogae above Jinburyeong. There has been some hollow rumbles in the air at times today, I look a little bit unsure towards the north sometimes. That Hwangcheolbong lies covered up by the vegetation, together with the 'fake' summit and that the path here is not marked, are making me at first take the wrong path at the proper summit and walks for a short time in an unknown direction.
By Madeungryeong Samgeori, in the background the spire that I climbed on top of.
With the map and the compass consulted, I am back on the right track again. Down towards Misiryeong I encounter yet another accumulation of obstacles that provides more wear for my aching joints and sore feet. The trail passes over several huge fields of large boulders. The wind is blowing hard and keeping the balance on the rocks are difficult and time consuming. Stubbornly and slowly, I move downwards, on lookout for the best path through the boulders. A fall here could cause serious trouble. In the end, I step in under the safety of the branches after having left the last of the rocky fields.
From the real summit of Madeungryeong, the dinosaur spine in its entirety below Daecheonbong.
The sun is on the wane when I am getting close to Misiryeong, through the trees I can see another surveillance camera on the path. Unsure whether the camera is in use or not, I resort to the bush again, which means more hurting bashing through scrub and thicket. I locate a path that leads me down to the road just below the pass, with a tall fence between the road and me. More hurting bashing through scrub before I get to the end of the fence. I found of all things a golf ball while I was pushing myself through the bushes, later on, I found out that I had lost my bottle of soda that I used as an additional water bottle inside the bush. I was not happy with that; do not like to leave behind things in the nature.
On the way down the rocky fields towards Misiryeong. On the other side of the valley, you can see the summit of Sangbong, in the background the mountains in the demilitarized zone between South- and North-Korea.
I was somewhat anxious to end up in the dark again on the way down, but I got down before that time. In the guidebook, I could read about what the hyugeso at the pass had to offer, but also that they were unsure of how long it would survive since the paths on both sides of the pass are closed. They were completely right about how long the hyugeso would survive, the former wooden building is definitely closed and in visible decay, almost as a ghost house. Outside there is a large parking lot with a great view down towards Sokcho and the East Sea. As a compensation for what the restaurant had to offer, there are some vending machines on the parking lot selling hot and cold drinks, which I gladly make use of.
The closed and decaying hyugeso at Misiryeong.
While the wind is blowing cold around me, I am unsure of what to do. Stay at the pass or leave the ridge for a place. Sokcho far down next to the sea is tempting, but it is a long way there. Of course, I forget that whatever happens, Baekdudaegan will provide. A bus consisting of old people on a trip is stopping at the pass in the dusk. I nicely ask the driver if he can call a taxi for me, which turned out to be not so easy. Instead, it ends up with that I get to ride on the bus down to Sokcho. In the outskirts of the city, the bus drives past some motels and they are kindly letting me off next to one of them.
In a restaurant in the outskirts of Sokcho, the walls are covered by drawings and greetings from former guests.
I am looking forward to another night in a bed. After showered my now quite tired body, I walk in the dark through the little neighbourhood until I find a restaurant. No 'opse' here, I get served meat on the grill (bulkogi). The walls in the restaurant are covered by greetings and drawings from former guests. Another guest looks up, smiles, greets me and says that we met on the dinosaur spine earlier on the day, funny. On the way back to the motel, I buy myself some Friday snacks. Potato chips, maekchu (beer) and chocolate. Which is greedily consumed in the motel room while I am relaxing, my knees are really tired. It feels unreal to think that tomorrow is probably the last day of my walk. A beautiful day.
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