I had originally planned and organized myself to trek into Sorak-san, stay a night at a campsite, then trek back out; however upon my arrival to Sokcho, I was informed by the Tourist Information booth that ALL of the national parks were closed and in resting period, so overnight stays were not possible. This meant I could only do day hikes. Much to my disappointment, as I had already done so much adjusting to my original trekking plans, I again had to re-adjust what I wanted to do, to what I could do.
My concern for this first night was where to stay. I had thought I was going to be resting peacefully in the quiet of the mountains, but now had to figure out where else to stay. I will provide details and pictures later.
The entrance fee into Sorak-san was 2,500W or about $1.78 (at this particular time of exchange rate). After a bit of getting ready, trekking poles, taking some weight out of my really heavy bag (originally prepped for an overnight stay), I managed to be on my way on the longest and hardest route possible for this mountain. I was told the trail was about 4 or so hours.
I climbed Ulsanbawi and there is a legend that goes along with it:
According to legend, the rock Ulsanbawi (bawi means large rock) originally came from the city of Ulsan to be part of the Geumgang (Diamond) mountains that were being created. When Ulsanbawi arrived, apparently there was no more room. Ashamed (he was the failed representative of Ulsan) and full of grief, Ulsanbawi started to trudge back to Ulsan, but fell to the ground in the Sorak area where he went to sleep and decided to permanently stay.
Ulsanbawi: 873 m
Ulsanbawi has a very particular craggy look to it. It's smooth and steep, juts out unlikely in the middle of forestation. For the first 2.5 kilometers or so, I wondered why it was going to take 4 hours. I found out after I got to Heundeulbawi, (Rocking Rock - people come from all over to try and "shake" this round rock, but no one can get it to do more than kind of move a little.) where I had lunch, that the rest of the climb was straight up a whole helluva of stairs (800+ metal stairs), carrying a 30-35 some odd pound hiking bag on my back for around a kilometer.
(<-- Heundeulbawi)
(800+ stairs looking up-->)
(800+ stairs looking down --->)
On top of it, the WIND!!
I have never experienced such wind in my life. If it weren't for the rocks that surrounded me at times, or the metal guards, I would totally have been blown over the edge and have died.
Yes that's me in the wind, arms in the air partially because I'm like WHOOPEE, I made it to the top, but also because the wind blew them up there.
I was totally amazed that there was this couple that made it to the top a little after me. They were in their 50s or 60s. Personally, there were times where I felt a bit, um unsure of myself, mainly because of the weight on my back and how that would affect my balance going up some steep or narrow portions of the climb, as well as the fierce winds, but to see this slightly older couple make it up, was just amazing. Their sheer will power and fearlessness.
If anything I've noticed while hiking, is that there are lots of "old" people who are faster and stronger than me. It reminds me of racing my tris - I get passed by very unlikely people... even the old grannies on hunks of steel bikes.
It's not that I get passed up really, but there are just so many unlikely looking (ahjumas - middle aged, most likely married women, maybe 40-50 years old) going up and down these peaks. There aren't very many 20 somethings though, unless if they are part of a tourist group, and then they don't go that far or that high.
My hike took a little over 4 hours, including a lunch break, and the variable of a huge hiking bag that no one else had. EVERYONE stared at me going up and down, like "look at this girl carrying this bag, going up this mountain...."
The hike was great overall, except quite literally at the bottom, I was standing looking at some temple slates, when the winds blew something into my eye that I could not get out for the life of me for over an hour. I stood in the bathroom, with the sink filled with water, dunking one eyeball underneath, opening and closing it. The ahjuma cleaning the bathroom felt bad for me, telling me to go to the doctor because I stood there for so long trying to get it out.
Eventually, because I couldn't get it out, I left the bathroom to go get my things from a locker downstairs as everything was closing up. I stood there emptying it, with one eye shut, hoping tears would come out to flush the dust particle out and after another half hour or so, it finally did. But I think it was cause I pulled my top eyelid off my ball and like did this smushing, squishing thing with it.
Point, I got rid of it somehow and went on my red-eyed way to the bus and my motel.
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