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Some jottings on my latest Korean adventure (Chris Upson, Fri 26/09/2003)
Last Saturday (20th Sept) went to Jirisan National Park for a big hike over highest hills on South Korean mainland.
Left Commodore Hotel, Pusan at 5:20am, caught taxi and two buses to reach Chungsan-ri roadhead by 8:45am. Weather looking utterly grim. Grey low cloud. Drizzle and 100% humidity.
From Chungsan-ri hiked straight up Cheonwangbong (1915m) - highest point on South Korean mainland - and then at a whim decided to head west as far as Nogodan summit (28km top to top) along the most
horrifically rollercoster trail through jungle and over slippy rocks, and up and down ladders. All the time in thick dripping mist. Getting colder and wetter as I went on.
Totally wrecked when I reached the final top - Nogodan - by this time visibility was less than 20 metres. Hoped I was going the right way as I left the summit. For the final mile or so a Korean guy in nice yellow tracksuit spontaneously started running alongside. I kept the pace nice and steady - but then gradually notched it up till we were both going flat out. Or at least I was. He seemed to enjoy it.
I was hoping to cadge a lift down the road with this guy, but he didn't speak a word of English apart from "Ahhh, Maraton Man".
I soon scrounged a lift from the next hikers, and then a combination of 4 buses got me back to Pusan. Luckily I can read some Korean basics - otherwise no chance of getting the right bus. No information in English.
Was comfortably back at my Pusan hotel by 10:20pm.
The Jirisan traverse route is supposed to take normal hikers around 3 days. I managed it in just under 8 hours - but was really heavy going. Saw hundreds of other hikers, but not a single person who wasn't Korean. And certainly no one else running in shorts and bumbag and bright yellow vest!
Chris
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