Paektusan - Soyeonjibong secret camp

North Korea / DPRK: Paektusan Highland Trekking Expedition, day 2.
Weather: Nice, blue sky with some clouds.

It is a far more welcoming sky that greets us this morning than what bid us farewell last evening. The clouds are breaking up with blue sky behind and the sun shining down upon us. Except over Paektusan, here the clouds still stands their ground. We shake the North Korean Sandman out of our eyes and then gather around for breakfast. Today we will be walking over an undulating landscape of grassy surface, crossing over volcanic hills and one peak before we end the walk nearby one of the secret camps in the area. As Paektusan is open for normal tourism, I feel that this is the first day that we will do something not really done before.

Our campsite below Paektusan in the morning, my tent is visible furthest back.

The entrance to the Paektu waterfall, China is on the other side of the small gorge.

There is one slight, but positive, change of plan though. From our campsite, we start walking off towards the Paektu waterfall. Under the shoulder and watchful eyes of Paektusan, we walk across rolling green meadows, before joining a gravel road taking us the rest of the way to the waterfall. It is quite beautiful, the mountainside we are walking beneath.

Paektu waterfall.

A smiling bear welcomes us at the site, albeit not alive, and worn with faded colors. Although coming out from the ground, the waterfall is not tall and spectacular in any way, but with its source being Paektusan it is said to be a very special place. It is considered sacred, and is the source of the Amrok river that forms the border to China. From the nice little waterfall, only a few stones in the little river separates us from China. The only sign marking the border is a wooden plank. We are tempted to cross into China, turning the hike into a multinational hike. What we stand on is however an autonomous region between North Korea and China. Further inland, there will be border posts and patrolling soldiers.

Scenery from the mountainside of Paektusan.

After the visit to the waterfall, we have to go back a little on the road before we head out onto the wide plateau beneath Paektusan. Or Paektu-Gowon as the locals call this expansive rolling plains. There are no paths over these plains, at least that we can see, so here we have to follow in the footsteps of our local guides. It is a pleasant rolling landscape to be walking in, almost pastoral, except there are no animals here. Maybe there once was wild animals roaming these hills, I came across a skull of an animal, but could not tell what kind of animal it was. One of the guides tells me that the name of a nearby mountain translates to big womans lips mountain, due to the red colors of the flowers on the mountain when they blossoms.

Walking across the highland plateau called Paektu-Gowon.

Paektusan still looms over our backs, beautiful as it is, but from this viewpoint it is keeping its true beauty well hidden. The summit of Janggungbong was lost in the clouds in the morning, but by now the clouds has lifted so much that we can see it from where we walk. We climb on top of a round green knoll. It gives us a good view over the surrounding area and a throbbing ache in my memories. On the horizon, I can see a distinct line of mountains and I know that those are part of the Baekdu Daegan ridge, it is now four years since I climbed its brethren in South Korea. The soil here is clearly volcanic, only covered by a thin layer of vegetation, and visible through various patterns in the hills and peaks around us.

Memories of the Baekdu Daegan. Views of the Baekdu Daegan ridge that goes through the north, with the closest peak being Soyeonjibong.

What looks like something that once has been a riverbed, is giving us a tricky crossing. Not by water, but by loose rocks and scree. The soil suddenly changed from green to grey, but is back to green when we sit down for lunch. Which almost solely consists of the soon to be famous starbread. One of the local guides, Mr. Choi, has found blueberries and is heartily sharing his catch around. Some of the blueberry wine (duljjuk sul) is also passed around, it is quite strong actually.

The hiking group at top of a hill on Paektu-Gowon.

It looks like we have used a little more time than was expected and Roger and Mr. Hwang (the main guide) are worried about the remaining hours of the hike today. There is a steep obstacle standing in our way, which we are to climb over according to the plan, Soyeonjibong peak. I have been looking forward to this climb, but the arguments go about whether we should climb it today or do it tomorrow morning. Another factor thrown into the equation is Paulas knee, which has started to trouble her. She fears she might not be able to climb the peak. In the end, they decide that we will climb to the top of Soyeonjibong, but not go over it as planned and descend on another side. Paula will be staying down with some of the guides and we will then meet them when we come down.

Local guide Mr. Choi handing out blueberries.

Before the hike, Roger warned us that we could not wander off on our own or out of sight of the group. As this could result in an unexpected meeting with a soldier patrolling the area, not knowing of our activities in the area. Throw a very curious Norwegian into that mix and you might get a problem. So when I see a beautiful lonely tree standing in the middle of a fields with yellow flowers and head off to take a picture of it, it does not go long before I hear a shout coming from behind, “Tarj!”. I get my picture and hasten back towards the group. They were never out of sight, however.

A lonely tree standing in the middle of a field with yellow flowers, with the long expanse of woods running towards the east of Samjiyon.

View of Paektusan and Paektu-Gowon from the top of Soyeonjibong.

Reaching 2114m, the peak of Soyeonjibong stands out in the middle of these plains. Almost during all of our hike today we have been seeing its distinct shape in the horizon. Even with its height, the peak is colored green by the vegetation covering it. The climb up is quite steep, but the reward is accordingly great. As the peak almost stands like a beacon in the middle of the highland plateau, we get a 360 degrees panorama of the surrounding area. To the North, the view is dominated by Paektusan. To the South, the Baekdu Daegan ridgeline with Ganbaeksan in the middle is the immediate eyecatch. China is to the West, and endless forests to the East. It is a little gem of a mountain.

View of the Baekdu Daegan ridgeline with Ganbaeksan in the middle from Soyeonjibong.

I am not really caring much about being the fastest, strongest, best, and not to mention the first, when it comes to doing things. But, I must admit, it does feel a little bit cool to be standing at the top of a mountain that almost no other foreigners has been standing at the top of. Roger, of course, has been here before, on a scouting trip before this expedition. I was so happy that we decided to climb up to the top of the mountain today, who knows what the weather will be tomorrow.

At the top of Soyeonjibong with Paektusan behind.

Going down, Jo comes across what might been a small cave or something. There has been tigers in the area, so we all fantasize about it being the lair of one those elusive animals. Down again, we meet up again with Paula and the other guides. I am sorry that she could not share the experience we had at the top of Soyeonjibong.

A short and steep descent inside the woods, Paula nearest, with Sinead on the way down, Jo at the bottom.

Sinead walking through the tall grass in the larch pine forest of Paektu-Gowon.

From here there is a real change of terrain, which I am grateful for, adding another variation to the day. We now walk into the large larch pine woods situated below Soyeonjibong. What really fascinates me is the tall grass that the path goes through, reaching us to our waists. At times, the path is barely visible. Sometimes, we only know where it goes due to the guides leading the way through it. Paula exclaimes that at home (in Australia) they would never be walking through tall grass like this, they would not know what kind of animals are hidden by the grass. There are poisonous snakes in South Korea, and definitely also in North Korea, but as high up as here? I do not know. I choose not to worry about it.

Walking through tall grass between larch pines after the descent of Soyeonjibong, local guide Mr. Hwang at front.

After the lovely walk through the woods, we suddenly emerge above a house looking like an army outpost. Army or not, we are being welcomed by a smiling female guide. This outpost is attached to the Soyeonjibong secret camp. One of the numerous camps in this area used by the North Koreans to lead the resistance against the Japanese occupation in World War 2. Before we head for our campsite, we go on a tour of this secret camp.

A cabin at the Soyeonjibong secret camp.

The cabins in the secret camps are built using wooden logs stacked on top of each other, usually with a sort of thatched roof. Very basic. Also located in the area are various slogan trees, which the partisans used to write motivation slogans on. Now they are preserved using a special technique by enclosing them inside glass with some specific gases for the purpose.

Mr. Han, the driver, cooking dinner using the ground as a heater, with the potatoes already prepared, Mr. Han is now taking out the finished cooked rice.

We have to walk a short walk to where we will camp and pitch our tents. Just as yesterday, the support vehicles are meeting us there. The good thing about this campsite is that there is a little creek running nearby, which we can use to wash ourselves. The main driver, Mr. Han, has been preparing parts of our dinner the old way. By digging down potatoes and rice, and then building a fire on the ground, he has cooked the food using the heat from the fire on top. It is no surprise that the main dish is noodles again.

Local female guides singing at the campsite in the evening.

In the evening, we build a fire and gather around the flames for singing and talking. Two of the local guides, both female as usual, has joined us for the evening and are singing traditional North Korean songs for us. And then, Mr. Han is joining in on the singing. He has actually a far-reaching voice, and appear not to be afraid of using it in company of strangers from outside the country. It is a wonderful evening. I think that this is really the day that the team from Associated Press should have followed us, it would give a far better view of what this hike is about than yesterday.

From rolling grassy hills, over a peak with panoramic views and through serene larch pine woods. Today was a wonderful varied day, with a perfect ending to the hike at the campsite with singing and a fire.

Evening around the fire at our campsite near Soyeonjibong secret camp, Mr. Kim, the two guides and Mr. Hwang.

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