Blogs from Seoraksan, Gangwon-do, South Korea, Asia

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Asia » South Korea » Gangwon-do » Seoraksan June 6th 2016

My third visit to Seoraksan National Park! Since I would be leaving Korea soon, I took the opportunity to visit Seoraksan again. The first time I went many years ago, I wasn't really that impressed, but when I visited back in December I realised why everyone falls in love with the place. This trip that I went on gave me the chance to explore a new part of this vast national park. We started at Jangsudae ranger station, which is at the western edge of the park, far from the coast and the main entrance. This trail would take us 11.3 kilometres in a north-west direction to Namgyori park ranger post. We all had to pose with a big banner about not smoking in the national park for the ranger. One of those experiences of living ... read more
Seoraksan National Park
Seoraksan National Park
Daeseungryeong Peak

Asia » South Korea » Gangwon-do » Seoraksan December 19th 2015

19th Dec: We left Seoul around 8 am and headed east to Gangwon-do. I was happy to be getting out of the city and spending the weekend before Christmas somewhere beautiful. We had a couple of stops on the way and we arrived to the area, where we were meant to be hiking. However, luck was not on our side, the trail had been closed as rockfall in the area had made it too dangerous to hike. Time for plan B, we would head to the main part of the national park and do the hike that we were going to do tomorrow instead. We arrived at the main entrance around 11-11:30 am. We headed along the new trail to the waterfall. The trail was only 2.5 kilometres and the slope was very gentle. It was ... read more
At The Entrance
At The Entrance
To Tongwangseong Waterfall

Asia » South Korea » Gangwon-do » Seoraksan November 29th 2012

27-29thNovember 2012 Unless I go off an a tangent, this will be a quick blog. We didn't spend long in the Sokcho area and the weather was bad the one day we had to explore the national park. The only bad weather day we've had here so far! The scenery from Andong to Sokcho was stunning; mountains dusted with snow along with the rivers and valleys we've seen elsewhere, but the bus ride was marred by a grumpy bus driver. We had the front seats which we were happy about initially as it gave us more of a view out the front. That was before the driver started hassling us for the “noise” Samara was making. Every time she started talking or singing (she is into singing twinkle twinkle little star big time at the moment!) ... read more
Snowy landscape at the top of the cable car
On the bus to the national park
Dragon on a fabulously decorated gate in the park

Asia » South Korea » Gangwon-do » Seoraksan October 24th 2011

Do something everyday that scares you. That’s the motto of my 18 year old daughter, Jessica. Luckily for me, as an American living in Asia, accomplishing that is no problem! There’s the little things, like riding a subway throughout a new city without being able to speak or read the language. Or perhaps it’s simply getting lost in the markets – again with no language skills. Then there’s the biggies. The ones you look back on and say, hmmm, now that was a little crazy, but now that I’ve done it, I feel like I can handle traveling the world. For me, that’s just a handful of things. Included in that list would be using a squatty potty – over troughs, mountains of s*#t, or open air behind a rock. Also included would be the art ... read more
On the top
Seorak-san
Rolling fog

Asia » South Korea » Gangwon-do » Seoraksan December 20th 2010

Sokcho Na twee en een halve week eindelijk vertrokken uit Seoul naar Sokcho. Een klein stadje aan de oostkust, vnl. een vissersplaats en niet zoveel te doen en te zien. Maar in de buurt van een nationaal park, Seoraksan en had verzonnen hier dagtripjes naar toe te maken. Na aankomst met de bus op zoek naar hostel, zou heel gemakkelijk moeten zijn om te vinden. Vanaf het moment dat ik uitstapte werd ik heel de tijd lastig gevallen door een motel-propper. Op een gegeven moment maar gevraagd in een restaurantje waar het hostel zou moeten zijn. Het bleek aan de andere kant van de stad te zijn, maar hij zou wel bellen want hij wist wel wat. Het was donker en had geen zin om een taxi te nemen/bus te zoeken, dus op ingegaan. Eerste voorstel ... read more
Watervalletje
Ulsanbawi
Baekdamsa

Asia » South Korea » Gangwon-do » Seoraksan October 21st 2010

As I write this blog my body has only just recovered from the trauma that was Seoraksan, and that was four days ago now… It’s autumn time in Korea and in the true, unique nature of Korean people; everyone pulls on their spandex, jumps on a bus and heads east from Seoul to Seoraksan National Park, home of the third largest mountain in South Korea. To say that the trail was crowded would be an understatement. To illustrate further my point we faced pre-sunrise traffic jams (on foot!) and were frequently bashed by the bandana clad, pole wielding Koreans who seemed to have left their usual friendly demeanours back in the city. We met up with the Seoul Hiking Group and local celebrity/ kook/ all round nice guy Warren at 11pm and drove the three hour ... read more
Spectacular
Bright!
A View From the Top

Asia » South Korea » Gangwon-do » Seoraksan March 3rd 2010

We don't want to make it seem like we don't do any work around here, but we had the last week in February off school so we decided to make the most of the week (well, half of the week - the first half we spent watching Olympics at every possible moment - which was difficult with a 17hr time difference, but we managed to see most of the important things!) and rented a car for a little 5 day road trip with 2 friends, Eric and Moiz. We left on Wednesday morning in our shiny new Kia Forte Hybrid ready (and a little worried - I mean, Korean drivers?scaryyyyyy!) for the road ahead. We packed the trunk with all our hiking gear and hit the road with Eric and Mike alternating driving as they were ... read more
Korea is vying for the 2018 Olympics
Frozen Waterfall at Seoraksan National Park
Beginning of the hiking trail...

Asia » South Korea » Gangwon-do » Seoraksan March 30th 2009

This past November, some friends and I took a bus from Seoul (서울) to Sokcho (속초시) to visit the famous Soraksan Nature reserve (설악산천연보호구역). At the time, many people had been visiting the park because it is said that the fall season is the most beautiful time to visit. The fall foliage was vibrant and striking with all sorts of colors - luscious red, luminous yellow, carrot orange and a mix of earthy greens and browns. The air was fresh and clean, a nice change from the smog of Seoul. The first thing we did was take a cable car up to the tallest mountain called Sorak Mountain. I am afraid of heights so it was a little terrifying for me to ride the cable car. But it was a neat experience because the scenery was ... read more

Asia » South Korea » Gangwon-do » Seoraksan March 25th 2009

Setting foot in any national park there is usually an ‘aha’ moment when you realize why this particular parcel of earth is designated so valuable we need to hoist it to a higher pedestal than that of, let’s say, a pig lot. The national park system, setting aside your philosophy on how they are or should be managed, is one on the great inventions the United States has shared with the world. With that in mind, and with countless recommendations by the locals, Cass and I and a couple of other friends (the irony is they’re Canadian), Jason and Rachel, went to go see what the 'best of the Korean best' was all about. We got up early, left our bags with one of the most hospitable hostel owners I’ve ever met in Sokcho (House Hostel ... read more
Where's Waldo?
Took the picture and rescued her in time
I hearby claim this peak in the name of Korea

Asia » South Korea » Gangwon-do » Seoraksan September 29th 2008

Beste mensen, Ik weet niet echt waar ik moet beginnen met wat er de afgelopen drie dagen is gebeurd, dus begin maar bij het begin. In de planning voor dit weekend stond een bezoek van 2 dagen aan Seoraksan park vanaf zaterdag tot zondagavond. We besloten echter om op vrijdag op stap te gaan en waren dus vet laat thuis en na 2 uur slaap bleek dat het misschien niet zo slim was om alsnog naar Seoraksan te gaan om te hiken. Er werd, tot mijn teleurstelling, besloten om de volgende dag te gaan, waardoor we eigenlijk maar 1 dag konden gaan. Ik vond dit zwaar klote want ik had deze trip voorgesteld en wist dat we zowiezo 4 uur moesten reizen om daar te komen, waardoor we eigenlijk maar 1 middag daar konden doorbrengen. Maar ... read more
Lekker proppen in de lift
Uitzicht vanuit het terras
Prachtig




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