At Mount Sobaek, nature, trails, friends give real sense of hiking

Mount Sobaek is one of Korea’s 22 national parks, with its 1.439-meter-high peak, Birobong. /Courtesy of Jung Du-young

• Published Jun 1, 2017 5:10 PM KST
• Updated Jun 1, 2017 5:10 PM KST

By Kim Se-jeong

In Korea, hiking is almost everyone’s hobby. During weekends, people dress in colorful outdoor clothes, bring their gear and set out for a mountain.

I am no exception. I have invited my friends and family on short hikes in and near Seoul, during which I exhausted myself and sweated profusely. It is usually a big social event with food and drink and makes me feel closer to my friends and family ― and it gives me the best sleep that night.

My recent hike to the 1,439-meter-high Mount Sobaek outside Seoul was quite different. It was much more challenging, way more than I expected, and I was surrounded by people I didn’t know, but in the end we got to know each other and felt bonded through the challenging hike. Mount Sobaek isn’t an easy hike, especially for those who aren’t used to hiking, but it’s worth challenging.

I went Mount Sobaek on May 20 with members of Climbing in Korea, a Meetup outdoor activity group and one of the few that is open to both Koreans and foreigners and provides English-language services.

Many, including myself, joined the hike to discover Korea’s mountain ranges and hiking culture, meet new people or escape Seoul’s “building forest.” The 40 hikers included regulars and newcomers.

We had a clear goal but time constraints hit me hard. But the pressure and fatigue were all rewarded with a stunning view from the top and a sense of accomplishment.

Mount Sobaek was designated as a national park in 1987 and is known for the strong wind at its summit and its royal azaleas. Captain Kim, the founder and leader of the outdoor group, chose the mountain specifically because late May is a royal azalea season when the flowers can be seen across the mountain ― from top to bottom.

Like many national parks, Mount Sobaek has many peaks and trails. Our hike began at the Jukryeong meeting point, reached its peak, Birobong, 1,439 meters above sea level, and ended down near Biro Temple. Altogether, the trail was 12 kilometers long.

At the foot of the mountain, all the hikers introduced themselves ― the youngest hiker in the group was an eight-month-old Indian girl whose father piggybacked her to the top.

After warming up, we set out on the artificial cement trail which took us almost halfway up before giving way to the dirt ground. Captain Kim and others said walking on the cement trail can wear people out faster than a natural trail. He didn’t explain why and I didn’t believe it at first but this turned out to be true ― I felt like walking on a cushion on the natural trail.

The fastest hikers moved far ahead and disappeared from sight. I had difficulty catching up to them on the steep trail. I needed a break every dozen meters, but pushed through with words of encouragement from other hikers in the group ― I was thankful for them.

The trail had many points from which people could look down on the vast mountain range and take photos. It also had good resting points where we could recharge.

We caught up with the front of the group near the second peak, Yeongwhabong, for lunch. I had a peanut butter sandwich, sausage and a banana.

One German girl decided to stop after aggravating an existing knee problem she incurred from another hike earlier that week and headed back down to where we started.

We resumed quickly after lunch. As we reached the summit, the tall trees gave way to grass and short flowering trees, which tilted to one side in the wind.

Many hiking blogs mentioned the beauty of royal azaleas around Birobong, but we were too early ― the flowers weren’t in full bloom.

At the top, my legs shook and I was thirsty, constantly looking for a spot to sit down. Yet, I felt great and proud of myself that I made it that far. The view was great with the smaller ridge tops, an artificial lake and tiny patches of land with village.

We had a short time to enjoy the scenery because we were, again, behind the rest of the group.

The descent was shorter but much more painful. Both my legs shook, and to avoid feeling the pain I walked in much shorter intervals. A Mongolian girl had heels on her sneakers and that added to the pain of her already shaking legs, she said. We shared words of encouragement until the end.

We hoped to stop by Biro Temple, a national heritage site built by a prominent Buddhist monk in A.D. 680 during the Shilla Kingdom (57 B.C. - A.D. 935) but had to skip it because of time. But it’s certainly worth a visit given its stone Buddha statues, according to bloggers.

At the finishing point, a tiny foot massage station built by the National Park Service welcomed us ― the National Park Service knew well what hikers needed. Soon, the bus picked us all up and hit the road fast. And the nap I had in the bus was one of the best in recent months.