Baekdu Daegan // day 33 // Pijae - Daetjae

Baekdudaegan day 33.
Distance: 25.2km (541.3km), time spent: 9:57 (270:03).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 900m / 820m / 1081m.
Weather: Light drizzle in the morning, then changing between overcast and nice.

I have slept warm and good in my sleeping bag during the night, but it is a chilly pleasure creeping out of it to prepare and eat breakfast in the morning. Dark and brooding clouds does not make the morning light in the early hours any brighter. It was said it was going to rain in the night, but I had my doubts and thought it would come in the day instead. I was right, the first raindrops are announcing their arrival while I am packing together and leaving Pijae, it is still dark.

Pijae in the morning, still dark and cold. The jeongja I spent the night in to the left and you can discern the backside of the sculpture behind the tree to the right.

I did not have the greatest expectations in store for this day, I walk unnoticed on an unnoticed path through a light drizzle in the beginning. After a while, something that appears like a fortress through the forest awakens my curiosity, I leave the forest and the ridge and are shortly after walking among terraces with grassy domes. It is not a fortress that I am walking on, but a huge cemetery for the city of Taebaek.

A huge cemetery for the city of Taebaek, the graves lies on terraces on the hillside. From inside of the forest it looked like a fortress.

The rain has abandoned me and I trudge on. It is very little out of the ordinary on the walk; the path makes some few frequent trips out to glimpses of farms below the ridge. There are however some local histories concerning the areas the trail goes through here. Geonuiryeong (the hat clothes pass), a slightly unassuming and overgrown pass, got its name after King Gongyang of the Goryeo kingdom was sent in exile to Samcheok and then killed. The king's faithful followers hung their official hats and clothes at the top of the pass when they crossed over, for then to swear an oath to never enter government service again. I am the only one going over the pass now, both my sunhat and clothes stays on while I am continuing further.

View from a peak just before I arrive at Geonuiryeong, with acres and farms below.

After the summit of Pyotdaebong, fences are erected alongside the trail, which leads me to the pass that served nine husbands, Gubusiryeong. The curious name has its origin in the tale of a local woman from a nearby village, who was born under an unlucky star. Nine times she married, and each time the husband died. From the pass fences guides me on towards Deokhangsan (1074m), where the rain makes a little and short encore before the summit. There is however a quite sour and cold wind today.

Geonuiryeong, a modest pass where the path disappeared in the vegetation.

Until now, the walk has not been of the most inspiring sort, but between Deokhangsan and Hwanseonbong (or Jigaksan) the trail is balancing on the edge of the ridge. Trees grows on the edge, so the sight is not all clear, anyway it is an eye-catching view. I peek out to a mountainside that disappears steeply downwards. Far below there is a little road going through a thin valley that meanders its way through the mountains, a few houses lies scattered around the road. I pass a closed off staircase of metal that hides a path down to the Hwanseondonggul-cave, which claims to be the largest show cave in the East. There are, however no forbidden detour down to the cave for me.

A distinct fence marks where the path goes before I arrive at Gubusiryeong.

I eat lunch at the summit of Hwanseonbong (1081m), where a small and fenced in path goes to an outcrop with a revelation of the landscape around. Wind turbines with their rotating blades are standing on the other side of the mountain ridge. The wind has calmed down a little bit when I am eating. I light up my stove to prepare my standard meal (hot noodles with boiled ham and rice), this time I have in all excess a can of beer with me. I am cold when I am continuing walking, it is still not noteworthy hot.

At the summit of Deokhangsan, there are many decorations on the summits in Korea.

Walking above the fields of kimchi at Gwinemigol is enjoyable, I recognize the scenery from the picture in the guidebook, only that the path does not go where I thought it would go. The trail passes past the fields and the wind turbines, and now the clouds are on their separate ways, they are fumbling frantic after each other to no use. A small snake crawls suspiciously in front of me on the path, must not forget to watch my steps.

View from Hwanseonbong.

I had expected an easier day of walking today, the curves on the terrain profile did not swing just as much as usual, but it got heavier than expected. The rain in the morning made the path slippery and more difficult to walk on in several places. Additionally, this has been one of the longer days on the walk so far. A steep turn of a road meets me when I enter out of the trees at Daetjae. The pass consists of several decorations, several monuments in stone, a weird commercial sculpture, info boards with maps and inside a small park there is a locked up sanshingak. Below is Daetjae Hyugeso, I meander down to it.

View over the fields of cabbage at Gwinemigol, a small village that also contains a temple, Deokbulam.

There I am the only guest; I get the second floor that houses the rooms in the minbak all to myself. The best of it all, there are some good armchairs that I know I will be sinking down into during the afternoon and evening. On the first floor, there is a small restaurant and store. In the shelves on one of the walls, there are bottles in different shapes containing various plants in water or some other liquid. The Ryu family, who friendly welcomes me without speaking English, runs the place. I eat dinner in the restaurant, but cannot make myself eat the cluster of the whole and tiny fishes, the particular foreigner that I am.

Walking between the cabbage fields, a lot of kimchi are probably made from the cabbage coming from here.

Later I calmly explore the area, while the hosts are working outside drying roots and bushes. When the darkness sets in, I sit relaxed in one of the comfortably armchairs with a cold beer reading. In between lights from a car is passing by. Not the most exciting day, and with dull weather in the start, but I am strangely satisfied anyway.

Daetjae Hyugeso, my room was in the second floor. The hosts are outside and drying roots and bushes.

<- PijaeSamhwadong ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 32 // Hwabangjae - Pijae

Baekdudaegan day 32.
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.

<- HwabangjaeDaetjae ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 31 // Doraegijae - Hwabangjae

Baekdudaegan day 31.
Distance: 27.2km (495.1km), time spent: 11:36 (251:33).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 770m / 900m / 1567m.
Weather: Sunny and clear sky, then fog, some rain and gusty.

Sobaeksan is left behind me and today I am entering into a new park, Taebaeksan. Taebaeksan is as Sobaeksan also promising a walk in a barren landscape. In addition, the trail is offering a possibility of experiencing the more spiritual aspects of the culture here in Korea, since it is passing three altars on its way through the provincial park. The owner of the minbak is as promised driving me back to the pass in the morning, but I am not alone in being driven back up. Another hiker is out on the same errand as me.

Seobyeokri in the morning, to the left the restaurant where I had my dinner yesterday.

The Sun has not yet fully arisen when I leave Doraegijae, at the same time as a group of cyclists are preparing to go biking on the trail I came down from yesterday. It is a clear blue sky, I keep company with the Sun upwards, after a while it shines from the rays through the leaves on the trees, and my expectations are rising at the same speed. The path however, does not release its protective cloak of trees. It is a steady incline in the beginning, which increases in inclination the closer I get to Guryongsan (1344m), the nine dragons mountain,

There are no traces of dragons at the summit of Guryongsan, even though the vermilion colours on the trees carries a resemblance with the colour of dragon fire. Beneath the summit, I find a small wooden shack with a roof of corrugated iron a little distance off the trail, which is one of the less elaborate sanshingaks I have seen on the journey. Inside the shack, there is a tablet of wood wrapped in white paper, something that signifies an old Confucian way of enshrining spirits. The other hiker that rode with me up to Doraegijae, is catching up with me at Chadolbegi (1200m), while I am eating lunch.

A worn and less elaborate sanshingak in the woods below Guryongsan.

There is a weather change in the air and now clouds are coming rolling fast across the sky. I am getting closer to the area with the tree altars, and I see the landscape disappear into the mist together with my expectations. My mood is taking the toll for it.

In Sobaeksan, I managed to get my bearings back again and got a great experience by it. Now I am unable to do it and suffers from it. In frustration, I kick a rock, even though it is not the cause of my frustration. The disappointment of yet again missing out on walking in an open landscape is too big; I had been looking forward to this section of the trail as well. And in my current mindset, I am unable to see the mysterious beauty of the landscape wrapped in fog. Though I have just had a rest day, I am tired, more tired than I think I am.

The Hadan altar. The lower of the three altars in Taebaeksan Provincial Park. The trees are disappearing slowly into the sea of fog, something that lends an additional area of mystique to the place.

Small drops of rain are dancing in the fog, gnarled and contorted yew trees forms grotesque shapes in the limited field of view. I pass the summit of Busobong (1546m) before I myself disappears on a wrong path. After rewinding my steps, I am back on the right way. I arrive at the first altar, Hadan, shrouded in mist and mystique. The altar is just called the lower altar (Hadan), since the original name of the altar has got lost with time. Distant and broken voices disappears in the layer of clouds.

The Cheonjedan altar at the summit of Janggunbong.

From Hadan the trail continues up into the clouds towards Janggunbong and Cheonjedan on a wooden staircase. Cheonjedan, the heaven ceremony shrine, is an impressive altar at the summit of a mountain without a view. I am no longer alone in the mountain. Here it is a constant stream of hikers visiting the altar, both for looking at the shrine and for conducting small rituals. At Janggundan, the guardian general altar, there is a figure clad in a blue raincoat sitting bent over a ritual on the altar. Janggundan is the highest altar of them, located at 1567m. The exact age of these altars are not known, but the general saying is that they are from the old kingdom of Silla, thus more than 1000 years old.

A lonely figure praying at the Janggundan altar, the highest of the three altars.

Below Janggunbong with its altars is Manggyeongsa, one of the highest located temples of Korea. I had in mind to try to see if I could spend the night at the temple, so I walk down into the sea of fog to the sounds of maintenance from the buildings. The place is veiled in by the clouds, with sour winds through the pale shrouds. I ask a person at the temple if it is possible to stay the night. As an answer, I get one good and one bad news, there is no problem for me spending the night here, but there is a two hours walk down and up again to pay for the stay. I did not understand why I could not pay at the temple itself.

I choose to continue walking instead, a decision that I am going to regret bitterly for later. I might miss out on a unique experience, to stay at a temple here. On the other side, I know that I am tired, and that using additional strength now may not be that clever. So in the gusty weather I pass yet again Cheonjedan and Janggundan, and the trees that looks like they belongs in a ghost movie.

The temple of Manggyeongsa, one of the highest located temples in Korea.

After having walked down a little bit uncertain if I was on the right track, I come to a junction where there is a steep path going down to the Yuilsa-temple. I leave my backpack behind up at the junction and walk down to the nunnery, which lies nicely situated beneath a valley adorned by autumnal colours. The place seems desolate and abandoned; there is not a soul to see. Further on the Baekdudaegan, my mood is lifting a bit when I come down under the layers of clouds and can climb out onto some rocks and enjoy some views again. There is a thin stripe of quaint light capturing the mountains stretching into the horizon in some sort of a sunset.

The Manggyeongsa-temple fringed by the sea of clouds.

When I arrive at Hwabangjae, I am tired. At first, there is not an available room at the minbak of the Eopyeong Hyugeso. Nevertheless, when I am gesticulating that I am then considering going on and spend the night in my tent instead, they arrange a room for me in a magical way. How I do not know. I must have been looking tired and resigned, so I guess they figured out they had to fix something. I am grateful anyway.

A Korean yew tree on the path down towards Hwabangjae.

Then my day is falling apart, when I check on my (rented) cellular phone it turns out that Mr. Cho has been trying to call me eight times. When I call him, it turns out that he and his wife are at Manggyeongsa and are waiting for me. They have been driving all the way from Gimcheon to meet me and give me some clothes. If I only had known, I end the call with a very bad conscience. They will come here instead though.

The nunnery of Yuilsa.

I then eat dinner at the hyugeso, bibimbap that really tastes good now. Afterwards some workers at their office next to the restaurant invite me to more food (chicken and pajeon) and soju. Their English is not very good, but we tries to communicate the best we can. While I am eating with them, Mr. Cho and his wife arrives. Our second meeting is short, but very nice. They are in a good mood despite what has happened, before they drive the long way home again. I am left behind with loads of apples, a fleece jacket, a long johns of wool and my conscience still bad.

I give some of the apples to the workers at the office, who heartily accepts the offer. Then I return to my room, call home for some moral support and then goes to bed after nearly dosing off a couple of times. What a day!

A stripe of quaint light underneath a sea of clouds.

<- DoraegijaePijae ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 30 // Buseoksa - Doraegijae

Baekdudaegan day 30.
Distance: 17.5km (467.9km), time spent: 8:38 (239:57).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 434m / 770m / 1244m.
Weather: Overcast, then sunny.

I wake up to the national day of Korea, which is celebrated by the sky with a grey and dull weather in the morning. A stately breakfast today, consisting of potato cakes that I bought yesterday, hot noodles, apple, cider and apple juice. Before I walk, I yet again becomes lavished with apples and apple juice by the owner of the minbak, and the backpack weighs enough from before. On the way up towards Buseoksa, the temple guard wants to give me an apple as well. I donate some of the apples to the temple, by giving them to a woman sitting inside Muryangsujeon. I am then leaving the majestic temple behind me and follows the path up to the closed fence, from where I set forth on the steep return to Galgotsan and Baekdudaegan.

Passing by a stone pagoda, I leave the majestic Buseoksa behind and set forth on the steep path back to the Baekdudaegan.

After an hour, I am tired back into the spiritual embrace of Baekdudaegan. From Galgotsan, there is a short walk down to Neujeunmogijae, a pass that marks the end of my time among the azaleas of Sobaeksan. Another steep climb follows, this time on a good path up to the summit of Seondalsan. At the summit (1236m), there is no views to talk about, the world only consisting of grey layers of clouds. On the way down, however, the sky is opening up and the clouds are breaking apart. A nice forest is emerging out into the open, where the colourful arrays of the autumn are making its entry. In the horizon, there is a remarkable sight, the water of the Murya-dam.

View from the Baekdudaegan in the direction of the Murya-dam.

When I arrive at Baekdalryeong, the birch pass, the sky is blue and sunny. I have been looking forward to this moment, to step out of the forest to something you have wanted to see for a long time. The moment is not disappointing. Bakdalryeong is a great pass situated in a somewhat desolate area, even though a mountain road is crossing the pass. There is a lovely stele here, a nice sanshingak, a wooded pavilion that you can sit inside and eat in, and the usual information boards from Korea Forest Service. In addition to that, there is a chattering information post here, which at regular intervals are telling the world around it something in a language I do not understand. It goes off at the same time I open the door to the sanshingak, which makes me believe I have set off an alarm of some kind.

A tree in splendour, spreading its branches majestically over the path.

Mr. Cho Geon Hyung and his wife arrives before I am going to eat, so we sit down inside the pavilion and eat lunch together. He works in finance and his wife is a high school teacher. We walk together from Bakdalryeong, I onwards and they back towards Doraegijae from where they had hiked. It feels good to finally be walking under a clear and sunny sky again, invigorating. Alongside the trail there are small wooden signs displaying which plant or tree you are looking at.

Bakdalryeong. A wonderful pass on a secluded mountain road.

Mr. Cho Geon Hyung and his wife inside the pavilion at Bakdalryeong.

We come to the summit of Okdolbong (1244m), where the highest point itself lies quite hidden behind the trees. There are however, some nice rocks nearby that I can climb on top of to look out over the landscape below. The couple has now made up their mind to call a place where I can stay for the night, after I mentioned that I had not attempted to call. My thoughts were more focused on getting to Doraegijae and then see if I could get down from there to a place, and if not stay at the pass. There is very little signal coverage here, so they are spending some time in the attempt, even though I tell them that they does not have to. They are a pleasant company to walk with.

Fluttering ribbons celebrates the summit of Okdolbong.

View from one of the rocks at Okdolbong.

It is quite strange meeting a white picket fence in the middle of the mountains, there is something peculiar about it. Inside the fence, there is an over 550-year-old cheoljjuknamu, a royal azalea tree. It is a gnarled and twisted tree that twirls its branches to all sides. The white picket fence reminds me vaguely of home. Downwards again, the trail passed through a tunnel of flowers, though there are little blossoming now.

Cheoljjuknamu, an over 550-year-old royal azalea tree. Fenced in by a white picket fence.

Doraegijae is a rather anonymous pass, with nothing more exciting about it than a nature bridge crossing the road. From the pass, the couple are driving me down to the village of Seobyeokri, where we after a small search locates a minbak. The owner of the minbak will drive me back up to Doraegijae again early tomorrow. I say goodbye to Mr. Cho Geon Hyung and his wife that are returning back to their home. While I am taking a shower, someone is knocking on the door and a young boy is giving me a bag. Inside the bag, there is a large bottle with energy drink (Sunny Blast) and a huge pack of chocolate biscuits, together with a note with 'Please eat deliciously. Have a good time. Cho Geon Hyung.' written on it. The hospitality of the Korean people are never ceasing.

One of several small information plaques in wood displaying which flowers and trees you see along the path.

It is quite overwhelming all the food and help I get along the trail. Which is very nice, but it is also something that at times makes me feel a little bit like a naive tourist. I do wonder if everything would have gone as good as it has, if I had not received it. Then again, this is probably one of the problems I have to count on when I do not know the language of the country I am spending so much time in.

Seobyeokri looks like a village that has seen its better days; there are a number of tired buildings and houses here. Still, most of the people I see here are looking happy. The owner of the minbak are also running a small shop and a restaurant. And even though they are rolling and smiling with their eyes when I order meat, I get what I want. I feel quite thin at this point. I walk to the minbak satisfied and very sated. There are almost no clouds on the sky now, above me lights from the constellations on this side of the earth are shining down upon me.

Seobyeokri.

<- BuseoksaHwabangjae ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 29 // Buseoksa

Rest day, and ever this urge to continue walking. But even though it is a rest day, I do walk, just not on the trail. The best thing about walking on a rest day is that I am not carrying a heavy backpack on my back. After being on the road for about a month, I have to tell that my body does feel kind of battered. This was, maybe optimistic, according to my plan to be my first day without walking.

A park below Buseoksa, around the park there where several restaurants and accommodations.

You have to fill the day with something, and there is not much to do in the small area below the temple. There is a ginseng festival in a nearby town, Punggi. Mr. Jeon Yeong-Su calls me in the morning to invite me to the festival. It does not start until tomorrow however, and then it is all the walking I have to do. Somewhat sad, I have to politely turn down the offer. He is otherwise telling me that it is not far to Sosu Seowon, an old Confucian academy, and Seonbichon, and old village for Confucian learning that is now a museum.

Muryangsujeon, the main building in Buseoksa, and the oldest remaining wooden building in Korea.

I start anyway my life as a tourist here, with a walk up to Buseoksa again. There are now many more people here than when I arrived yesterday. The temple bears the same name as a big and round boulder, buseok, which means floating rock. The floating boulder lies just outside the main hall of the temple, Muryangsujeon, which is the oldest remaining wooden building in Korea. To get up there you walk up, among and through ornamented buildings and pavilions. I receive a free lunch in the restaurant for the temple, consisting of vegetarian food and rice cakes.

Outside Sosu Seowon and Seonbichon there is a pleasant park area, where the river Okgyesu that has its source in Sobaeksan runs through.

Below the temple again, there goes a bus to Punggi. I get off at Sosu Seowon, where Mr. Jeon has arranged for me to meet Mr. Kim, who will show me around the area. He waves me free of charge into the place, even though the entrance ticket is insignificant. Sosu Seowon is not just old; it is also the oldest private Neo-Confucian academy in Korea. Around the small school, there is a nice park, where the river Okgyesu runs through. On some rocks there are hangeul writing edged into them, which are reflected in the water. Inside among the buildings, it is quiet; you can almost sense the sounds of writing from ancient times. Beyond the academy, it is livelier, it is the day of the elders today and it is celebrated with a feast and dancing.

Sosu Seowon, a Neo-Confucian academy.

I did not get time to look at the old folk village. Mr. Kim and one of the others guides working at the place are driving me to a restaurant recommended by Mr. Jeon. We bid farewell, whereupon I happily get to eat to my heart's content a large and good portion of bulkogi. The most exciting now is how to get back to Buseoksa. There was supposed to be a bus station here, but I cannot see it at first, hidden beyond a large commercial balloon. Luckily, I do not have to wait long before the bus is arriving, so my nerves calmed down a little. Sitting on the bus I am back to my little adventure mode, looking out at the landscape and people. Dark clouds over the mountains now. Two other hikers are on the bus, with gigantic backpacks.

Portraits of the two most important scholars in Sosu Seowon.

In the afternoon, I go back up to the temple again, even if there is not a possibility to see the sunset now. The clouds are the ones playing the most at the sky. I keep company with a monk from Seoul on the way. Quiet at the temple, and there is a nice light on the sky, a mix between clear sky and rain. But where the sun is, are also the clouds.

Buseoksa in the afternoon.

Down at the minbak again, I receive some more apples and juice, this time from the owner. I have lost count on how many apples, grapes and other things that has been given to me. Enough walking for today. This evening I get to see a whole movie on the TV, Knight And Day by James Mangold. A light and forgettable thing, as opposed to this adventure.

<- BuseoksaDoraegijae ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 28 // Gochiryeong - Buseoksa

Baekdudaegan day 28.
Distance: 15.5km (450.4km), time spent: 6:50 (231:19).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 782m / 434m / 1096m.
Weather: Overcast, nice in the evening.

Some days the walk is the best experience of the day, other days it is the afternoon and the evening afterwards that is offering the best experience. This was such a day. It is gusty and sour in the morning, on the day I have planned to go to one of the largest and greatest temples in South-Korea. I prepare for another combat with Baekdudaegan, and eat the last of the combat rations for breakfast, sitting down by the sanshingak.

The sanshingak at Gochiryeong. Some people are preparing for a ritual at the small pass.

Before I go, someone has arrived at the sanshingak. They broom the place around the little shrine of tree, lights the candles inside and are garnishing the altar with adornments and food. It is the 1st. of October today, but it is not good to tell if it has anything to do with today's date that a ritual is being held here. Up through the forest I can hear the echo from the ceremonial drum resonate through the trees.

Thin layers of mist floats on the path between Gochiryeong and Maguryeong.

Shortly after I set off, I encounter a sign telling me that the path goes through a tiny area that are closed, no paths around, no alternatives. No barriers, I sneak through, easy on foot. Like the clouds, that sneaks through the trees. There is little happening on the journey over to the pass of Maguryeong.

Maguryeong. A small pass on a big trail.

A small gravel road crosses the pass, modest and leisurely, still a stele celebrates the pass. Sitting on one of the benches, a little bit of trail magic is suddenly happening from an unexpected hold. A car is passing by; I nod smilingly to the people in the car while they are passing me by. Just before they disappear around the corner and out of the history, they stop. And start to back up. Out of the car, an elderly couple is coming, wondering if I am walking alone, 'honja'. When they are continuing driving, around the corner and out of the history, I am left behind with two apples and two bags of apple juice.

Trail magic at Maguryeong. An elderly couple in a car stopped and gave me two apples and two apple juice, before the drove on.

The walk today has mainly gone through forest, and there are no exception to that on the way to Galgotsan (966m). The wind are making the water on the leaves fall down, almost like rain. Galgotsan marks the endpoint of Baekdudaegan today; from here, a path leads down to the backdoor of the Buseoksa-temple, the temple of the floating stone. Before I venture down from the ridge yet again, I need some food. Soon after, the sounds of boiling water with noodles in under the canopy of the forest can be heard, quietly.

Through the national parks, I am still in Sobaeksan, the paths are marked by sign posts like this one at regular intervals.

It is 3.5km down to the temple, the path is not marked and as tradition go, steep at times. I have almost lost faith in being on the right path, when I suddenly stands next to a fence. A small climb over the obstacle and then I am inside the temple grounds of majestic Buseoksa, built in the year 676 by a monk named Uisang, it feels a little bit like I have sneaked myself into the place. A path leads down to the main temple; I arrived at one of the buildings in the backyard of the temple hidden beneath the trees.

The stone lantern of the Buseoksa temple, designated one of South-Korea's national treasures (#17).

The Jikjisa-temple was great, but Buseoksa feels even more grandiose. The different temple buildings lies like stairs above each other, with views over the valley below. On the uppermost 'staircase' is the main building of the temple, the Muryangsujeon Temple Hall. I will tell more about the temple later. In several of the temples in South-Korea it is possible to get to stay the night, in so-called temple stays. You get a small room, some simple food and you may be expected to attend some of the prayer sessions at the temple. I was hoping I could get a temple stay here at Buseoksa, but I do not know where I have to go to ask.

One of the guardians at the temple, keeping watch in one of the entry ports to the temple.

It turns out that you have to order in advance, something I have not done. A little bit hard when you cannot quite tell which day you will arrive, even though I could have tried to call two days ago. There was a lot of walking up and down in the temple, and down to the entrance a little way down, so I am tired. On the positive side, I meet Mr. Jeon Yeong-Su, a retired man that works as a guide and translator on the different tourist attractions in the area. He is waiting for me down by the area below the temple, which houses several restaurants and accommodation options, and is receiving me in a very friendly way. At his office, he is serving me kopi and attempts to enquire people higher up in the system if I can get a temple stay. Unfortunately, to no use.

Inside the temple grounds of Buseoksa.

Instead, he treats me to dinner on a local restaurant after I have been lodged in a minbak, where we eat bibimbap and fish (that the restaurant is giving us). Mr. Jeon Yeong-Su worked earlier as an English teacher and vice principal at a school, so he speaks very good English. It is pleasant talking with him, and so this becomes the highlight of the day. Yet another Korean hospitability.

Below the temple there is a small area where there are several restaurants and accommodations.

The weather was grey and dull during the walk, but in the afternoon and evening the weather has lifted. I think it would have been nice to enjoy the sunset from the temple, but choose not to spend what strength I have left going up again. Hence, the evening is spent relaxing at the minbak. 'Transformers: Age Of Extinction' are starting on a TV-channel, and it suits me fine to just sit down and watch a movie now. The joy is short lived though, it is pay TV, so the screen goes black and are changed to Korean writing that most probably are explaining how I can pay to see the rest. But how, I do not understand.

In shelter of the temple, the evening changes to night. Tomorrow there is a new day of rest.

Having a nice dinner together with Mr. Jeon Yeong-Su at a local restaurant, consisting of bibimbap and fish.

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