Baekdu Daegan // day 38 // Daegwanryeong - Noinbong

Baekdudaegan day 38.
Distance: 20.7km (649.9km), time spent: 8:55 (321:01).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 800m / 1338m / 1338m.
Weather: Overcast, some fog, some sun.

Another national park approaches me today, Odaesan, the mountain of five platforms. Where the trail is running through the national park, there is mainly an open landscape to behold; so it is not surprising that I wake up to a landscape where it is the clouds that are dominating the sky. After a night in a proper bed, I just want to crawl back in under the duvet again and postpone the walk I have ahead of me today to tomorrow. When I crawled down into my sleeping bag later in the evening, I was seriously happy that I pushed myself out of the bed.

Daegwanryeong. The Cheon-Ji-In monument towering over the open parking lot, to the left the small wind turbine museum.

The fog does not lie so dense over Daegwanryeong now, as it did yesterday, but there is not much blue sky to talk of. The layer of clouds lies grey and threatening above me. Before I continue on, I spend some time looking around at the place; the absence of thick fog turns the area into a completely different place. How massive the Cheon-Ji-In monument really is becomes apparent when I can see it towering above the parking lot that I yesterday walked across as a lost person on desolate plains.

The Daegwanryeong Shrines, one of Korea's most famous blends of animistic faith and Confucian history. The seonghwangsa in the front, the sanshingak with the two women performing a ceremony in the background.

The clouds are nevertheless dominating the view when the pass has become history and the trail is what forms my sole world again. There is often an own silence occurring when it is fog outside, it is as if a deadening blanket is lowering itself over the nature, while sounds that are not created by the nature gets an amplifying effect. From the deep drums can be heard. I follow a path down to where the hollow sounds originates from, the Daegwanryeong Shrines, where two women are performing a spiritual ritual outside the sanshingak at the place, while a groundskeeper unaffected sweeps the ground. There is also a seonghwangsa here, a tutelary spirit shrine, as well as several stone altars. The area is a peaceful place in an autumn clad forest. In such surroundings, you will stress down and feel a calmness descend upon you. I can hear sounds of water trickling from a water source, I refill my water supply and while the drums continues unabated, I venture up again towards the spiritual backbone above.

A wind turbine emerges out of the clouds above where the trail resembled like a walk in a desolate moor landscape.

Earlier on the trail, I might have been a little unhappy had I walked over this bewitching landscape then, where the clouds are floating over the ridge opening and closing it again. Now my mood is different, I am still tired, but you can say that I have restored my mental balance. I can barely see the landscape unfold itself beneath the clouds, and the sight makes me feel that I am moving on a desolate moor. Rolling colourful meadows and hills. In between there are small openings appearing and I see huge mastodons passing by, while the rotors are cutting its way through the air.

Meeting at Najeumogi. A group of young campers invited me over for tea, fruit and chocolate.

A temporary withdrawal causes me to become better known with the area around, below the ridge, I can see some rooftops from farms and there are many 4WD tracks frolicking in the landscape. After Seonjaryeong (1157m), where a large stele marks when Baekdudaegan become designated a protected area, I meet a young group that has camped nearby Najeumogi. They cheer at me and invites me over, and it does not take long time before I become part of a lively conversation. As solitary foreigner, you do not get to walk a lot in peace here, but as a solitary foreigner, I am also quite happy about it. When I keep walking, the withdrawal has passed, and the clouds has regained their positions.

A couple of years ago, I saw a Korean movie called Taegukgi Hwinalrimyeo (Brotherhood Of War), about two brothers being forced to fight during the Korean War, now I stand looking at a sign telling that the area I am in was used as a location for the movie. Amusing, I am however walking through the hazy landscape in a far merrier period than the movie depicts. A somewhat curious gate stands as an entrance to where the trail continues on an enjoyable path, flanked by new ropes and fences.

A sign telling that the area around was used as a location during the filming of Taegukgi Hwinalrimyeo, a Korean drama from the Korean War. A good movie by the way.

The fenced in path leads me to an area that must be a popular destination, many buses are coming and going and it is crowded around me now. If it is because of the movie location that there are so many people here, I do not know. However, it is probably not the small, weird and dilapidated shelter here, which looks like a camping wagon without wheels. I am the only one continuing further on the path enclosed in the light haze.

I eat lunch at Maebong (1173m), sitting on the ground at the summit that marks the beginning of Odaesan National Park. From here to Noinbong, the trail is yet again closed, so it tickles a little bit in the stomach when I lawlessly sneak further through a short stretch hidden in the woods. The desolate scenery returns when I emerges out of the woods, open grounds, with some trees standing solitary in the haze. I see no danger until I discover a surveillance camera further down, so into the bush I go. And that causes a toil without equal, everything that is of bushes and trees are jerking and tearing at me, something that I am probably deserving. I paws my way out later below the camera, but if it is really in use, I do not know.

A walk through a forbidden landscape in Odaesan National Park.

Odaesan is offering a delicate beauty. The scenery is incredibly beautiful, more of the rolling meadows and lonesome trees, a fairy tale landscape. A bewitched hiker.

There are often many reasons behind choosing to taking on a hike, one of the reasons that I wanted to do this walk was quite simple a small picture in a guidebook. The picture depicted only a solitary tree near the summit of Sohwangbyeongsan, where the ground was covered by a small layer of snow, there was something enticingly melancholic over that picture. I had a great wish to experience and see the same scenery as on the picture, even though I knew that it would be impossible for me to experience it with snow.

At the summit of Sohwangbyeongsan, blue sky surrounded by clouds in a wide circle around the bald summit.

I never found the small melancholic tree, but that mattered little when I arrived at the summit of Sohwangbyeongsan (1327m). For when I walks out of the forest, I step out onto a green summit where it is blue sky in a wide circle around me, outside the circle the clouds are hanging. The summit itself lies just beyond where the trail goes, it is a round and grassy summit, where you can see over to Hwangbyeongsan with its domes and antennas. Sitting on a rock, bathing in the sunlight my mood is now at a high.

Clouds rolling over Noinbong.

I am now getting closer to Noinbong, where the closed section enters the open trail again, after a small guest appearance down in the forest with thin ghosts whispering between the trees. Clouds rolling over the summit of Noinbong. I sneak past another camera above Noinbong Shelter; do not want to become spotted by the people working there. Up at the summit of Noinbong (1338m), the view is not so good, but it is definitely a cool summit. I just have to climb on top of the stele, while the treetops peeks up from the clouds. Then I go down to the endpoint of today, Noinbong Shelter.

At the summit of Noinbong, and just as well on the top of the stele.

The shelter is listed as a first come, first serve deal, but turned out to be something completely different than what I thought it was. It turns out that it is not a staffed cabin, as the usual shelters of Korea National Park Service are. Instead, it is a little worn building that reminds me mostly of a cabane from the Pyrenees, inside there are two plank beds that you can sleep on. Outside two other hikers has pitched their tents. Water is it scarce of, I do find some water running from a creek, but it is garbage lying in it.

The evening nevertheless turns out to become quite pleasant at the place. I eat dinner outside together with the two other hikers, who thinks that I should spice up my usual noodle dish with some kimchi. We then later on sit inside the cabin, when it has become chilly outside, and toasts in soju. I wanted at first to offer them some of my soju, but were told that you should not drink soju alone (honja), so they went out and brought some more. The only thing I miss is a fireplace where I can build a small fire, which would have made the perfect ending of a great day.

Inside Cabane de Noinbong, which resembled a lot the open cabins you find in the Pyrenees.

Outside I can see the lights from Hwangbyeongsan, the two other hikers goes to sleep in their tents, and I crawl into my sleeping bag on the lower plank bed inside the cabin. Later someone is passing by the cabin in the darkness; I can see lights from headlamps outside. Then sleep comes crawling quietly, where I lay inside the Cabane de Noinbong.

<- DaegwanryeongGuryongryeong ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 37 // Sapdangryeong - Daegwanryeong

Baekdudaegan day 37.
Distance: 26.8km (629.2km), time spent: 10:25 (312:06).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 700m / 800m / 1238m.
Weather: Nice in the beginning, then fog, then rain and fog.

It is a cold morning that awaits a sleepy hiker, to a day where the weather gods are making a little bit of fun out of you regarding the water situation. If I shall make something positive out of it, it is that I do not need to spend so much time making breakfast in the morning, and may enjoy it without having to struggle out of my small shelter. The outside of the tent is soaking wet due to the humidity in the air. There are sounds coming from the tented restaurant on the other side of the road, music of a kind, but there are no one there. A hiker passes by in the dark, I only sees a small light looking up at the tent and then disappearing into the woods.

Around Deulmijae, the path is good to walk on, where the trail in addition went through an open landscape.

From Sapdangryeong the trail goes over to Dangmokryeong, but it is not the longest and hardest walk over to that pass, so it is in my mind to continue from there to Daegwanryeong. The weather is still presenting itself from its best side in the beginning of the day, though the sunrise disappeared behind the trees. On a small stretch before and after Deulmijae, I walk across a landscape with an open view to the area around. It is a scenery that has lowered itself a little in comparison with the scenery earlier on the trail; it is not so undulating valleys and ridges in the sight here. However, I should not let that fact fool me; there will be some steep parts today.

Another quirky find on the Baekdudaegan, two anatomic benches up in the mountains.

At a summit at 988m I meet yet another quirky find on the Baekdudaegan, there it is placed two anatomic formed benches. I have to be on the alert not to sit for too long in them, so I do not fall asleep. When I am standing at Seokdubong (995m) the period with a clear sky is over, after having climbed up the long staircase that leads to the summit the clouds are dancing a calm dance on the sky. The hiker that disappeared into the darkness early today is at the summit having a break.

Up to the summit of Seokdubong they has just as well built a long staircase.

Hwaranbong (1069m) is not residing on the trail itself and even though I will not be capable of seeing anything from the peak, I still feel the call to climb up. It is a 130-meter walk. The summit lies heavily weighed down by the clouds, a small stele is breathing heavily in the air and someone has erected a sort of flagpole on some rocks, where a yellow and worn flag are fluttering in the wind. Down towards Dangmokryeong it starts to rain and it is a grey world that awaits me at the chicken neck pass.

At the summit of Hwaranbong, no view in a grey world.

Pleasant is not what the stay here at the pass barely can be called, it is raining continuously, and it is dull and gusty. Even though the jangseung-poles are smiling to me, I do not entirely manage smiling back. Luckily, I find shelter in a structure resembling a bunker. My water plan has not succeeded completely, on the way here it broke down and I drank more water than I should. So I am forced to go hunting for water, not that it is a shortage of water outside now. Drinking water on the other hand, I have to find in one of the nearby farms. It was not rain that I had in mind when I thought that I needed water.

View down towards Dangmokryeong from some outcrops with gnarled trees growing around them.

So I have to make my way out into the rain again along the road, on the first farms and houses I come to there are no one around. After walking further for a little time, I finally get lucky at a small house, where I ask as nice as I can if I can get some mul (water). Outside the house, there is a faucet that I can tap water from. The woman living in the house is giving me a corncob and are asking me out in Korean. I can do nothing more than in a polite way say that I do not speak Korean. After a little while, it becomes apparent on her body language that my audience is over, I have my fill of water and are satisfied. I walk back up to the small and isolated pass where I sit down inside the bunker to eat lunch. Two other hikers has emerged out of the rain and are eating at the sanshingak.

A well-made staircase on the way down to Dangmokryeong, the chicken neck pass.

A small voice inside of me voiced the idea of ending the walk today here and get myself down to a place, but I let the voice disappear in the fog and rain. Cabbage is grown here as well; it is probably grown cabbage everywhere in Korea. Then I just walk, nothing much else to do, let yourself be lost in the grey world with just one goal. To continue moving. On this side of the pass, the benches of tree are changed with benches of metal, which chimes curiously in the rain. Gorupogisan (1238m) is as far up in elevation that I get today.

Grey and depressing weather at Dangmokryeong.

Around a huge cairn (doltap) below Neunggyeongbong (1123moh) it is built a wooded platform, the cairn is called the stone tower of fortune and is almost to be counted for as the Cruz de Ferro of the Baekdudaegan. You place a rock on the cairn when you pass for health and luck. Just before Daegwanryeong, I arrive at the first source of water for a long time, out of the mouth of a dragon it is running water out of an orange hose.

A walk through a forest in the fog, during a small respite from the rain.

Fog encloses the huge Cheon-Ji-In monument at Daegwanryeong; the massive turtle also does look a little bit dispirited in this weather. Anyway, this is maybe the coolest sight of the day. To walk across the large area below the monument is almost feeling like walking across a plain in the mountains in zero visibility, only with asphalt as ground. I have no idea of what my direction is leading me to; I try to walk in accordance to what I remember from the picture in the guidebook. The small wind turbine museum emerges out of the thick fog, and is much appreciated open. I sneak inside to change my clothes before I take a look in the museum. It is a nice little museum.

The stone tower of fortune below Neunggyeongbong. A large doltap with a platform of wood built around it.

The weather has if anything else made the day an eventful affair, but the most surreal experience first occurs when I am trying to arrange for a transport down to a place to stay the night. I try to get the receptionist at the museum and some other guests to help me get a taxi to the nearest place. A lot back and forth. The end of the story is that I am being driven down to a small town nearby with the name of Honggyeri in a police car. I sit back in the car where those who are being arrested usually are sitting. It does feel quite absurd, but it is definitely fun. The only negative thing is that the lens of my camera is condensing all the time, so I do not get a picture of the experience. They are letting me off next to a hotel in the main street, I thank them for the ride and then they drive on. I would like to say with full sirens, lights and all, but it was not so.

The huge Cheon-Ji-In monument at Daegwanryeong, enclosed in fog.

The simplest is often the best, so instead of sauntering around I just get a room at the hotel I am standing outside of. My first visit to a hotel so far on the trail. In Honggyeri I experience almost the opposite of what I usually experiences when it comes to ordering dinner, I am obliged to order bulkogi to my big pleasure. I do not have the energy to explore the town to a greater extent, so I just take a small walk and then I buy some snacks for the evening. While my clothes are drying on the hot floor, I just sit and relax after today's wet walk.

<- SapdangryeongNoinbong ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 36 // Baekbokryeong - Sapdangryeong

Baekdudaegan day 36.
Distance: 16.5km (602.4km), time spent: 10:01 (301:41).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 600m / 700m / 1055m.
Weather: Thick fog early in the morning, then wonderful.

The fog lies glued to the building like an impenetrable wall early in the morning, it is almost as if you can feel resistance if you touch it. The cause of me being awake so early is that I have some cooking to do. From Baekbokryeong there are no sources of water on the trail until Daegwanryeong, over 40 kilometres away. Therefore, my strategy is not to spend any of the water I need on the food underway, so here I am standing preparing the food beforehand (noodles with ham).

This was the sight that met me when I looked out on the landscape around Baekbokryeong Swimteo in the morning, dark and thick fog.

Breakfast is also served early at the restaurant, at 7 o'clock. The workers are present when I come down, quieter today than yesterday evening. I buy myself a bottle of soju, where I pour the contents over into my own small bottle and then ask the hostess to give the remaining soju to the group of workers. No return by car up to the pass, I am obliged to use my own legs. The fog is flickering and is on the retreat, blue sky is pushing through the layer of clouds. Fortunately it is going faster up than I had expected, it felt longer down yesterday than it was.

Back up at Baekbokryeong the fog was bored and left with its clouds.

The small and rustic restaurant is now closed; a look through a window gives the impression that it is a cosy little place. I continue walking on the trail under the blue sky, dragging on my heavy backpack, luckily unknowing about how a marvellous day it should turn out to be. The trail has been altered a little from the description at the beginning, something that probably has been done due to the huge quarry just on the other side of the ridge. The path is going straight across one of the entrances to the quarry, each time a truck is standing and waiting to continue a short melodic speech is played. Continuing further into the forest, people will hear me humming the melody.

After a couple of hours walking in a pleasant forest, there was a brutal climb up to Neungseon Samgeori, where I was rewarded with this view.

The quarry, which is run by Lafarge Halla, characterizes the view almost half the way to Sapdangryeong. Such a large wound in the nature is hard to hide. The trail itself are mostly going through a pleasant forest. An alternative route takes off from the path and are passing not far from Baekbokryeong Swimteo; it beats me that I could have walked down to the place by that route yesterday. I continue walking on the main trail. Through the trees, I can hear voices from other hikers. I take a break at Sanggyeryeong before the path makes the meaning of the word steep come into its own up towards Neungseon Samgeori (where the alternative route meets the trail again). Hidden in the vicinity is the Seodaegul cave, which is containing numerous stalactite forms (or speleothems) and lifeforms inside its 500 meters long cavity, closed for public for the sake of security.

The East Sea. Baekdudaegan is now moving alongside the east coast of South-Korea with a view to the sea.

One of the countless boards you pass on the trail. In the background, you can see the quarry that is being run by Lafarge Halla.

For my toil, I am rewarded with the first real view of the day, after greedily taking in the landscape I continue walking towards Gobyeongijae. From here there is a path going down to another cave, Okgye Seokhoedonggul. I consider walking down to the cave, but it stays with the idea, I end up just eating lunch and watching the path going down. The first pack of premade noodles is opened, it tastes all right, but I do prefer the hot variant. My lunch gets heavily prolonged when a group of hikers arrives at the pass. It is no small amount of food they are carrying with them, hence it does not take long before I am sitting with numerous dishes on my plate in one hand and soju in the other. We talk kimchi, noodles, rice, fried marinated meat, and more.

My backpack resting on the signpost at Gobyeongijae.

If there is one word describing this day, it is Seokbyeongsan. Earlier on the trail I had grown an affection for summits like Baegunsan, Hyeongjebong and Daeyasan, to mention some. Seokbyeongsan (1055m) is elegantly sharing the throne with them on the list. The peak also goes by the name of Irwolmun, which means the gate to the sun and the moon, something that symbolically can be transferred to the two pinnacles that forms the summit. On the tallest of the pinnacles there is a small ceremonial tablet, of which you get the feeling that has been shrinked by the magnificent sight from the mountain. Where the view from Hyeongjebong was a stormy open ocean, the view from here is a calm waving ocean with some large wave crests in between.

View from Seokbyeongsan.

I spend a long time on the summit. When the group from Gobyeongijae arrives, I can hear them from afar long before, I sit out on a small outcrop and enjoys the quiet undulating landscape. There are several tall and thin cliffs you can climb up on top of around the pinnacles to the sun and moon. The gate itself is a large hole in one of the sides of the mountain, from the other side of the hole it goes steeply down. The group are teeming around, apparently satisfied with what they are seeing as well. The time however does not stand still, the sun is continuing its journey on the vault above, and if I am to reach down to Sapdangryeong before it gets too dark, I am forced to twist myself loose from the grip of the mountain.

Sitting on a small outcrop at the peak of Seokbyeongsan.

Down it goes through the forest in counter light; I pass large holes in the grounds that may be bomb craters from the Korean War. Craters that now are growing over again, time heals all wounds. I come down to Sapdangryeong after the sun has burned itself down behind the mountains in the west. In the small light left behind, I explore the pass. The most noticeable at the place is a now closed small tented restaurant, I had a very tiny hope that it was open, the entrance to a sanshingak is also closed, which lies locked in behind a tall fence. I have to make do with the open and smelly toilets here.

Down to Sapdangryeong, the path goes through bamboo shoots.

The spot behind the menhir at the place is a nice place for my tent. It has gotten dark when the Gobyeongijae-group arrives, small lights in the dark, I say farewell and then it is quiet. It is dark, it is a little bit cold, and it is harsh. Even so, I am enjoying myself, sitting on a rock in the nolight, quiet. With some of my clothes hanging out to dry, I know that they will not be dry tomorrow, but they hang there anyway. A new pack of premade noodles is being opened. I sacrifice some water for a cup of hot kopi and then I crawl into the tent, to some relaxation with mentioned kopi, book and soju. My thoughts are still back on the summit of Seokbyeongsan. Satisfied, but I do wish that I did not have to save too much of the water, I feel that I am a little bit thirsty.

Sapdangryeong. My tent pitched behind a menhir at the pass.

<- BaekbokryeongDaegwanryeong ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 35 // Samhwadong - Baekbokryeong

Baekdudaegan day 35.
Distance: 26.9km (585.9km), time spent: 11:29 (291:40).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 147m / 600m / 1260m.
Weather: Nice.

Ah, the sweet hereafter. Early in the morning I prepare myself for the tough climb back up to the ridge and the trail. All quiet in the restaurant and in the darkness outside, where I am standing a little cold preparing my breakfast. I am off before the hostess are awake, which is a small pity; I would have wanted to say thanks for my stay at the place.

On the riverbed below the Samhwasa-temple, there are Hangeul writings carved into the rocks.

In the river below Samhwasa, there are Hangeul writings carved into the riverbed. I cannot read what it says, but poets, monks and scholars of the past carved their writings into the rocks in the valley, so it is not a bad guess that it is old poems or words of wisdom. The over 1000 year's old temple is observing me with its three harmonies on my walk back into the Mureung gorge. The prayer ribbons are fluttering calmly on the bridge leading to the temple.

Fluttering prayer ribbons on the bridge leading to Samhwasa.

Going up the Mureung-valley, I take my time in a calmer way than my walk down yesterday, hurrying slowly on the path. I probably should have taken a day of rest here as well, to fully explore the gorge with the respect it deserves. Hidden in the mountainsides above there are old temples and fortresses. At the Yonchu waterfall there are more writings carved into the rocks. A path leads me to the round boulders at the Sinseon peak, where you can see the phallic stone called Love Rock and the huge stone that is a monument to King Gwanggaeto the Great.

Writing on the rocks by the lower part of the Yongchu waterfall.

I take a deep breath when I arrive at the Sawonteo junction, which is located down in the valley as opposed to what it is written in the guidebook. From now on the hardship is beginning, the brutal climb back up to the ridge. In the most tiresome parts I do regret a little bit having walked down, but when I am up I have left the thoughts behind. I dump my backpack on the ground and take a break. I started walking around 6 o'clock in the morning, when I leave Gojeokdaesamgeori; the clock has already passed 10 o'clock.

At the summit of Sinseon peak, round boulders at the top, Baekdudaegan in the background.

After Gojeokdae, the trail changed into some kind of an obstacle course, and it is continuing in that matter from here on as well. The vegetation around me tears and jerks at my backpack constantly, to good fragments of views down at Mureung and over to the peaks of Haedongsambong that I marched over yesterday. With a trail that is not marked by any 'official organization' and a hiker that do not know the written language on the existing markers, it easily could go wrong. After an unnamed peak at 1142m, I am misled some way off the trail before I bitterly sees on the map that I cannot possibly be on the right way. I have to nicely turn and walk back up again.

View down towards the Mureung gorge with Dutasan and Cheongoksan in the background.

The valley of Mureung lies now safely on the other side of the ridge, it is a gradually, but uneven descent now. Among pine trees some benches next to a small water source is offering a peaceful moment, the water is barely running, the sun is shining through the leaves. Down at Igiryeong there is a large board with a map of the Korean peninsula on, Baekdudaegan is drawn on the map and a small marker shows how far on the trail I have come. For the first time I get a feeling of how far I have been walking.

Autumn forest.

The errands of the walking are now for the mostly confined within the frames of the forest. I eat lunch down at Wonbangjae, located in the saddle between the summit of Sangwolsan (970m) with its cliffs with views and the next ridge on the journey. Which there is an even ascent up to, and which carries me for the last kilometres to Baekbokryeong. A quiet walk in a forest, disorderly interrupted by overviews of the landscape around. Towards the end I feel that is has been a long day, I have spent a long time walking today.

View from Sangwolsan.

At Baekbokryeong, I surprise a small group of workers, who are sitting and eating while the soju bottles are being passed around. There was supposedly a rustic hyugeso here, which I in curiosity had wanted to get something to drink in, but the workers are going down to Baekbokryeong Swimteo and are inviting me to drive with them down.

Wonbangjae.

Baekbokryeong Swimteo consists of a building with several stories, in the first story there is a restaurant. By the road outside there more small restaurants, unfortunately there are no shops here as I had thought. The workers has made up their minds to help me, so they arrange a room for me at the place, while I am standing quite puzzled and watching. The room is however quite nice and well kept. After having a shower I eat dinner together with them in the restaurant. I order desukogi, which is quite a bad decision by me. It is meat, but there is also seafood in it, so I have to pick out all the pieces of squid that I cannot eat. The workers are kindly offering me soju, but their English is quite lacking.

View towards Sangwolsan from the ridge above Wonbangjae.

The biggest problems I have not knowing the language, is when I feel that the Koreans are doing too much for my sake and that I am a burden for them. Since there were no stores at the place, I enquire if they could order a taxi to bring me down to the nearest store. In return, they look at me with big eyes; it is quite far to the next place. After discussing a little bit, through another guest that knows a little bit English, it all results in that the one of the hosts at the place are driving me down for a small amount. It is here that I feel that I become a burden, even though I am very grateful and tries to explain both parts to them. It is a long ride in the dark on winding roads down to the nearest village. There I go shopping big time, the owner of the shop treats me with a cup of coffee, and then it is back up again.

Tired and grateful I return to my room. It will not be a late evening today, the rest of it I spend planning my tactics for the next days. There are no water sources on the trail for the next two days, maybe three dependent on how far I go. This was a day that contained the best experiences, along with the hardest, at the beginning of the walk.

Baekbokryeong Swimteo.

<- SamhwadongSapdangryeong ->

Baekdu Daegan // day 34 // Daetjae - Samhwadong

Baekdudaegan day 34.
Distance: 17.7km (559.0km), time spent: 10:08 (280:11).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 820m / 147m / 1403m.
Weather: Radiant, sunny and clear blue sky.

My nightly sojourn in the land of dreams is interrupted when I wake up bleeding heavily from my nose. It is cold in the morning, but it a clear sky and promises of another wonderful day again. Great colours up at the pass, I am a short trip out to see the sunrise behind the morning mist before I eat breakfast at the hyugeso. I have not entirely made up my mind as to where I will go today, the next significant pass is about 30km away, and between here and that pass there is a scenic valley beckoning.

The hosts at the Daetja Hyugeso inside the small restaurant and store.

And what a day this turned out to be, it was a beautiful walk that resulted in that the time almost ran away from me. Today Baekdudaegan took me over what is collectively known as Haedongsambong, sea east three peaks, consisting of Dutasan, Cheongoksan and Gojeokdae. In the great weather the colours of the forest turns alive, as opposed to the colourless shades in cloudy weather.

Morning view from above Daetjae.

I am eager for views, a little bit too eager, so shortly after I started walking from Daetjae, I climb on top of a rock to get what I want. With the result that I slip and hit myself just below one of my knees. It does hurt a little, but it does not feel serious and since it was clumsily done, it is my pride that receive the largest dent. To all excess, it later turns out that doing such antics is far from necessary today, the day offered more than enough views

A walk through a colourful forest up towards Dutasan.

Up towards Dutasan it is a walk through the colourful forest. It feels as the clear and blue sky is an energy injection, I feel more spirited than before. There are almost no clouds, just some few clouds floating in slow motion across the sky. A viewing point before the summit let me see the fruits of my toil the last days, in the horizon I can follow the ridge that I have been walking on far backwards. Far behind I see the summit of Hambaeksan, and the wind turbines that I passed are now like small miniatures of themselves. The view is lovely.

View back towards the ridge I have walked on, far back in the horizon you can see Hambaeksan (the communication masts visible next to the summit).

Dutasan (1355m) is held in reverence in the nearby villages and is a holy mountain for several of the temples in the area. The word duta means renouncing earthly and material gains, and instead live by the ascetic teachings of Buddha. At the moment, I am renouncing the walk for a time and take a long break at the summit in the nice weather. The summit consists of a slightly overgrown tomb, numerous signposts and information boards, some nice rocks to sit on and the usual stele. Below the top, there is a small water source that I go down to, honoured with its own tablet in black rock. The water sources here has often their own small ladles that you can use.

At the summit of Dutasan.

Finished with the first peak of Haedongsambong, I move in coalition with the ridge down to Bakdaljae where the gradient points upwards again to Cheongoksan (1403m). From the ridge, I can now see the East Sea and that is a sight that is much longed for, it feels good to see the sea again. Trees and bushes fence in Cheongoksan (the sapphire mountain). A solar powered communication mast stands on the summit, next to it the Korean flag is
fluttering.

View over the ridge the trail passes over, the two prominent peaks on the ridge are Cheongoksan and Gojeokdae.

Baekdudaegan dives down again, finished with the second peak of Haedongsambong. The third and last peak remains, and also the toughest. Up towards Gojeokdae the trail goes up over and past rocky formations with the help of ropes and scrambling. It is steep up, but the view is invaluable underway. I can look back at Dutasan and Cheongoksan in their emerald dresses. Since Dutasan, I have been able to look down at the Mureung-gorge, which is by many said to be the most beautiful valley in Korea. The weather is so marvellous that I relax at the summit (1353m) for more than one hour. Lunch today is not noodles as usual, but several sweet pastries that I bought with me from Daetjae, I eat them with ravenous appetite.

Overlooking the scenic gorge of Mureung, by many said to be the most beautiful valley in Korea.
In the horizon the East Sea.

At Gojeokdaesamgeori is the last possibility to get down into the scenic valley of Mureung, I need to make a choice. Shall I either continue further towards Baekbokryeong, all the way or stop and spend the night in the tent some place, or go the long and steep path down to the valley below me. I choose to go down; despite all the warnings my body sends me. And after the one-hour long climb down, all my muscles and joints are screaming at the thought of the return back up again tomorrow.

Climbing to the top of Gojeokdae with the aid of ropes. In the background Dutasan and Cheongoksan.

Beauty has its prize. Through the valley there is river running, which now more resembles a creek, where the water runs over white and polished rocks. The path follows the river down, while the sun now is on its way down behind the mountainsides above. The walk is great, I would have wanted to go here under better light conditions, I pass several small natural pools that shines in the last rays from the sun. In between, I have to go on metal stairs over and down the steepest parts. I take a short detour up to Siang Falls, a twin fall where two falls runs down from two separate sides.

The twin falls of Siang Falls down in the scenic valley of Mureung.

The entrance to the valley lies at the Samhwasa-temple, that I now arrives at tired. The temple is nice, but not as majestic as the Jikjisa and Buseoksa temples. An almost full moon shines above the temple buildings. Here as well I had to order the temple-stay in advance, even though I ask politely. It darkens when I go down to the small village below the temple to look for a place to stay the night.

Inside the main hall of the Samhwasa-temple.

It is quiet in the small restaurant street; I get a room at the Mureung Banseok Minbak. As usual, I try to order meat for dinner, but I am being met by the usual polite rejection, I end up ordering bibimbap and pajeon. The rest of the evening, I sit in the restaurant at the minbak I stay in and relaxes. The hostess is nice, treats me with coffee and fruits, and clearly wishes to talk to me, but her English is not good enough. The evening has descended upon the three peaks of Haedongsambong.

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