Since everyone had off work last Monday for Chusok, some friends in the hall decided to make a day trip out of climbing a mountain here in Seoul. The chosen hike was to the top of Mt. Baekundae in Buhkansan Park, which is the highest peak in the area at 837m (2746 feet). That may not be so high compared to really large mountains, but it was just right for giving us a workout which took most of the day, and I was blown away by the 360° panoramic view from the top. It was a bit hazy, but you could see Seoul stretching out into the distance. There were also some very impressive rock formations along the way.
One of the more exciting parts of the adventure was the final ascent to the peak. Most of the 6km hike was on a fairly nice path, sort of like climbing rocky stairs that aren’t too steep, but the last bit of the climb required using a metal rope to haul yourself up the extremely steep rock face. It would have been a heart-pounding challenge at any time, but the crowds of people made it even more nerve-wracking. Even so, we persevered, and we all felt pretty victorious by the time we reached the top.
I’ve uploaded pics of our adventure. It’s a combination of pictures from me, Suwon, and Song Cheon. Hope you enjoy them.
We rounded off the evening with some spicy chicken and mekju, but Eugene pretty accurately captured everyone’s feeling in the last picture. 
For a few nice additional pics that really portray the nature of the climb, check out the pics on this blogger’s page.
EDIT 9/25/08: Updated to include pictures from Kwan Song Cheon.
Tags: Korea, Photo Pages by dan
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