Distance: 21.0km (516.1km), time spent: 8:37 (260:10).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 900m / 900m / 1572m.
Weather: Fog and overcast, the nice weather.
I wake up at 6 o'clock in the morning and feel that is it a little bit late, something that is unusual for me. At this time of the day, I usually wants to be sleeping safely in my bed, but when I am out walking, the eagerness to get going is big. The weather outside has not lifted the veil from yesterday, so I have somewhat mixed expectations for the day. The breakfast at the hyugeso however are promising better times, yet again bibimbap, but as the first meal of the day, it tastes excellent.
Setting off from Hwabangjae and Eopyeong Hyugeso in the morning.
At the beginning, it is a straight walk in the woods from Hwabangjae up towards Suribong (1214m); I emerge up and out of the forest next to a military facility and an unexpected clear sky. Even if the sun is shining on the sky, it is not noteworthy hot, it is gusty and I take a short rest in a small Korean restaurant at the Manhangjae-pass to warm myself a little. Then it goes up from the veil of indifference to the realm of fog that I have been used to from Taebaeksan. Before I venture up into the clouds, I can enjoy the view of the steep mountainside I am going up.
At the summit of Hambaeksan, the fog climbed up to the summit together with me.
The top of the steep mountainside is Hambaeksan (1572m), and is a sacred peak that displays its allegiance with the heavens through several cairns on the summit. The heavens has definitely a presence at the summit now, and are covering the mountain in a grey layer of clouds. No view is let through the veil. The weather is sour and I felt resignation rise a little on the climb up. Still, I could discern small glimpses of the landscape below the summit at times. There are no ribbons flickering from the absent trees on the top, so I am slightly unsure where the trail is continuing from here.
Below Hambaeksan, the clouds are lifting and the trail is passing through a great ridge landscape adorned by autumnal colours and gnarled yew trees.
The uncertainty is soon forgotten; I am on the right path and on the way down the weather is opening up. The clouds are not disappearing, but they are withdrawing and are letting me enjoy the views over what is a magnificent scenery. Gnarled yew trees are dancing without moving on a ridge where autumn are spreading its reddish colours. The continuing trail is uplifting; it passes through a cool landscape raised above the forest, characterized by several scattered yew trees. And even if the veils sometimes are meandering down and through the trees again, my mood is now restored.
A group of happy hikers that I met on the trail, they offered me makgeolli and some food.
At times, the trail does a guest appearance beneath the embrace of the trees, where there is just as splendid to walk underneath the trees as it is witnessing them from above. A group of hikers are occupying the path in a jovial matter of eating. I am obliged to accept some food and some noble drops of makgeolli; I have no objections accepting the friendly offer. Along the trail, I pass several signs that shows the direction to the Apathupa-mountain, I am confused as why these signs suddenly are appearing here.
Signpost marking the way to Apathupa Mountain. A humorous touch on today's walk.
On the way down to the Ssarijae-pass the camera battery is failing, it is starting to become a habit that it happens on my wanderings, I have learned from the morning at the Bergeries de l'Onda on the GR20 and has brought with me an additional battery (it did happen on the GR10 as well). At the pass, there is a small restaurant that I stick my head inside in; it is good and warm inside. The selection is not the greatest, but I get to order some hot noodles. A guide from Korea Forest Service (KFS) is arriving, Lim Sang Choon, he had noticed my arrival at the pass. The hostess at the restaurant is declaring me a Korean and offers me some rice and kimchi on the house. Mr. Lim seems impressed and is mentioning to anyone that I am walking the Baekdudaegan alone, but he is like most of the others I have met on the walk a pleasant company.
Twisted trees above Ssarije, in the background Geumdaebong and in the background to the right Bidanbong and the start of the Ridge of the Wind.
He is also firmly determined to accompany me up to Geumdaebong, the next summit in line. Before I can start, I have to write my name in a journal of some kind, for security measures, as I understand it. On the way up, Mr. Lim is telling me about the local flora and about himself. He lives in the nearby city of Taebaek, which the park has its name from. From the summit (1418m), he walks down again by another trail, while I am continuing alone in the direction of Bidanbong.
Inside Hambaeksan Swimteo, a small restaurant at the Ssarijae-pass. There I met Lim Sang Choon, a guide who accompanied me to the summit of Geumdaebong.
It is steep up to the summit, and the views are best from an outcrop below the proper peak at 1281m. I stand for a while and enjoy the moment; the fog has become history a long time ago. A hiker is shyly putting a chocolate bar into my hand before he quietly continues walking. After Bidanbong, I am entering a kimchi-land flanked by huge wind turbines. The trail goes over a ridge with the suitable name of the Ridge of the Wind; I get flashbacks from the Camino and Alto del Perdon. I walk among the wind turbines and small curious sculptures that are turning in the wind. It is a nice end of a good walk; I am getting closer to Pijae where I have planned to draw the finishing line for today.
View from Bidanbong. The summit of Hambaeksan in the background.
Which is a finishing line that I am ready to draw, the descent to Pijae is hard and I feel a little bit sore. At the pass, there are two buses, with two large groups of Koreans sitting and eating next to them. The second I see the jeongja, I know that I will be spending the night in it, even though I know that it will be a cold night. The Koreans are packing, disappearing into the buses and then driving off, left behind is just me, silence and a bag of grapes. Pijae is one of the nicest and well-groomed passes that I have chosen to spend the evening and night in, in addition to the wonderful jeongja there is a nice garden here, with a sculpture honouring the source of the three rivers Nakdonggang, Hangang and Oshipcheon. A small store is also located at the pass, below the garden.
Curious sculptures and large wind turbines on the Ridge of the Wind.
Since it is a little bit chilly outside I relax for a while inside the store, where there are some places to sit down on, before I make myself at home in the pavilion. I pitch the tent so that it will get some air. Darkness and temperature are falling, weird animal sounds is heard in the evening, a light drizzle is starting, almost as it is snowing. I agrees with myself that this has been of the best days on the walk for a while.
Pijae. A nice little garden is decorating the pass, with a sculpture and a nice jeongja.
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