Monday 23 June 2008

Across Gaji-san

Seoknam tunnel

Gaji-san is one of the dominant features of the Nakdong-jeongmaek ridge.
At 1240m it is the second highest peak on the trail (behind 1245m Myeon-san in northern Bonghwa county, near the end of the trail), it is the first mountain in Korea to see the sunrise, has the largest alpine habitat of Royal Azaleas in the country (98ha) and is famed for its spectacular rocky outcrops and expansive views.
It was then with some disappointment that I set off in the rain Sunday from the Seoknam tunnel to cross the peak and exit Gaji-san provincial park.
가지산은 낙동정맥 산줄기 중에서도 두드러진 특색을 지니고 있다. 이번 등산로 중에서 두 번째로 높은 봉우리이다(1,240m)(이번 등산로의 마지막 부분에 있는 북쪽 봉화군에 있는 면산(1,245m) 다음으로 높은 봉우리) 가지산은 한국에서 가장 먼저 일출을 볼 수 있는 산이다. 또한 가장 넓은 고산성의 철쭉 군락지(98ha)가 있으며 장관을 이루는 기암괴석들과 광활하게 트인 전망으로 유명하다.

그러나 실망스럽게도 나는 오는 비를 무릅쓰고 일요일 날 출발을 해서 석남터널로부터 산봉우리를 횡단해서 가지산 도립공원을 빠져 나와야 했다.


Seoknam pass 석남고개

Seoknam pass shelter, one of three on the mountain selling welcome coffee.
석남고개 대피소, 가지산에서 환영의 커피를 파는 세 곳 중의 하나.

The ridge of Gaji-san on a clear day
맑은 날의 가지산 능선

Gaji-san summit 가지산 정상

Me on the peak, the monument on the left recognising the Nakdong-jeongmaek
산봉우리에서, 왼쪽에는 낙동정맥임을 알려주는 기념탑

before Bali-ing down to the next shelter with everyone else
다른 일행들과 함께 다음 대피소로 향해 내려가기 전.

Ssal-bawi rock (rice rock?)
쌀바위

Monument and altar at Ssal-bawi
쌀바위에 있는 기념탑과 제단

East off the ridge
능선의 동쪽 벼랑

Ssal-bawi shelter
쌀바위 대피소

Unmun-ryeong pass; the end of the day
운문령 고개 ; 그날의 마지막

and a border between North and South Gyeongsang provinces
경상남북도의 경계

Monday 16 June 2008

Noone picnics like Koreans.
한국사람들 처럼 하이킹 하는 사람은 없다
A free lunch and some liquid courage on Yeongchok-san, Gaji-san provincial park.
영축산 가지산 도립공원에서 공짜점심과 음료

Starting from the small town of Habuk near Tongdo-sa temple my plan this weekend was to take the ridge across the peaks of Yeongchok-san, Shinbul-san, Ganwol-san, Neungdong-san and Gaji-san to complete the crossing of Gaji-san provincial park, which I entered last Saturday.
이번 주말 나의 계획은 통도사 근처의 조그마한 하북읍에서 출발하여 능선을 타고 영축산, 신불산, 간월산, 능동산 그리고 가지산의 봉우리들을 지나서 지난 토요일에 입산했던 가지산 도립공원을 완전히 횡단하는 것이다.

Trail beginning behind the Tongdo Fantasia (Hwantasheea) water park.
통도 환타지아 호수공원 뒤에서 산행 시작

Hanu; the Korean cow, on the trail to Yeongchok-san
한우; 영축산으로 가는 산길에 있는 한국산 소,

Yeongchok-san (1081m) also known as Chwiseo-san.
영축산은 취서산으로도 알려져 있다

More golf on the ridge, "Gold Green Country Club".
능선위의 ‘골드그린 컨트리클럽’

Chwiseo-sanjang mountain shelter.
취서산장

The ridge between Yeongchok-san and Shinbul-san has three mountain shelters which sell coffee, cokes, ramen and mountain moonshine.
영축산과 신불산 사이의 능선에는 세 개의 산장이 있는데, 커피, 콜라, 라면, 술 등을 팔고 있다.
Lee Ju-hyeong runs the first of these and keeps his makali ice cold.
이주형씨는 이 중에서 최초로 영업을 하고 있는데 냉막걸리를 팔고 있다.


Yeongchok-san summit.
영축산 정상



In previous weeks on the trail Ive met a few people who've raved about this area of Gaji-san provincial park and I was looking forward to walking it. Unfortunately the weather packed it in as soon as I turned up and there was little visiblity, which might be pretty common around here as there are a lot of photos on the trail like the one below, showing what the ridge looks like on a good day.
지난주에 산행 중에 가지산 도립공원을 격찬하는 몇 사람을 만났다, 그래서 나는 가지산 산행에 대단한 기대를 했었다. 운 나쁘게도 내가 산행을 시작하자마자 날씨가 나빠져 시계가 좋지 않아 산행을 계속할 수가 없었다. 이 지역은 아주 멋진 곳이다. 아래 사진에서 보는 바와 같이 이곳 등산로에서 찍은 좋은 사진들이 많이 있다. 이 사진에서 맑은날의 능선의 모습을 볼 수가 있다.

My view of the path to Shinbul-san.
신불산으로 가는 길의 시계.

One of many large modern cairns near Shinbul-san.
신불산 근처에 있는 거대한 현대식 돌무더기 기념비.

Saturday night was spent below the ridge in the groovy little town of Eonyang, about 20km west of Ulsan city.
토요일 밤에는 능선아래 울산시에서 서쪽으로 약 20km 떨어져 있는 매혹적이고 조그마한 도시 언양읍에서 지냈다.

Baenae-gogae pass, with highway 69 dissecting the ridge between Ganwol-san and Neungdong-san.
배내골 고개, 간월산과 능동산 사이 능선을 갈라놓는 69번국도

Neungdong-san (983m)
능동산 (983m)

Looking back to Ganwol-san and Shinbul-san from Neungdong-san.
능동산에서 뒤돌아본 간월산과 신불산.

From Neungdong-san the walk to Gaji-san, the main peak in the park should take about 3 hours. Having got an early start Sunday I was keen to cross the peak and push further north towards Gyeongju city. However I didn't account for getting lost which I did fantastically, taking a wrong turn near Neungdong-san and ending up in a deep valley carved out by the Dong-cheon river.
능동산에서 가지산으로 가는 산길, 공원의 주봉까지 약 3시간은 걸린다. 일요일 아침 일찍 출발해 정상을 지나 더 멀리 북으로 경주를 향해 질주하기를 열망했다. 그러나 나는 길을 잃을 수도 있다는 점을 고려하지 못했다. 엉뚱하게도 능동산 근처에서 길을 잘못 들어서 동천강에 의해 생긴 깊은 골짜기에서 막다른 골목과 마주쳤다.

Dongcheon valley is a cool place,but it can't really be enjoyed when you're just tryng to get out of it.
동천계곡은 시원한 곳이다. 그러나 그곳을 빠져나온다는 것은 즐거운 일이 못 된다.

Three hours after taking the wrong path I got to a road, stuck out my thumb and hitched back to my car, calling it a day at the Ganwol Hotsprings below the ridge of Ganwol-san and Shinbul-san (below)
길을 잘못 든 지 3시간이 지나서야 겨우 한길에 나올 수 있었다. 손을 흔들어 지나가는 차를 얻어 타고 내 차가 있는 곳으로 돌아갔다. 내차는 간월산과 신불산 능선 아래에 있는 간월온천에 하루 종일 주차해 두었었다.(아래)

So next Saturday I'll be back on the trail weather permitting, reclimbing Neungdong-san to see where I went wrong, and heading north toward Gyeongju.
-cheers
그래서 다음 토요일에 날씨가 허락되면 지난번 산길로 되돌아 갈 예정이다. 내가 잘 못 갔던 곳을 보러 능동산으로 다시 올라가서 경주를 향해 북으로 나아갈 예정이다.

- 위하여! 건배!

Monday 9 June 2008

To Habuk Town

Nok-dong village below Gyemyeong-san

Saturday dawned fine and the weather remained so for the whole weekend as I took the ridge north some 40km from Nok-dong village in Busan's far northern reaches; crossing the peaks of Unbong-san, Cheonseong-san and Jeongjok-san before reaching the small town of Habuk on the Jigyeong-gogae pass.

Trail head crossing Expressway 1

Highway number 1 from Busan to Seoul, South Korea's main artery, seperates Nokdong village from the Busan Country Club; a fairly swanky golf course which the trail briefly hugs on the climb to the first peak

Busan Country Club

Expressway 1 heading to Yangsan city from behind the Golf Course

Jongju living cows

Crossing the small peak behind the golf course brings a sudden change from walking above the urban area of Busan into rural Korea, where the trail will remain for the rest of the journey to Taebaek.


Unbong-san peak (534m)


From Unbong-san walking is done on a firebreak which at this time of year is covered with knee high grass, and is home to a number of healthy looking snakes. It would be an awesome place to ski come snow time.

Back to Unbong-san

Mine zone

For 8km heading to the peak of Cheongseong-san the ridge is still a mine zone and is flanked by serious razor wire more than 50 years after the Korean war. This section probably represents part of what was referred to as the Pusan perimeter, the point where North Korean forces reached before United Nations troops arrived on the scene. I think it's fair to say that if you found yourself here at that time then you were definitely in the shit.
The presence of the mines forces the trail down off the ridge and across a few small watercourses, breaking the golden rule of Jongju trekking but for pretty good reason.


Cheonseong-san (922m)

The name Cheonseong-san was translated to me as meaning the mountain where 1000 Holy people have studied. Below the peak is the small temple Wonhyo-am, founded by the great monk Wonhyo-daesa more than 1300 years ago. Wonhyo and his life-long friend Uiseong are together responsible for establishing many of Korea's temples.

Wonhyo-am

Wonhyo is one of the most respected writers and philosophers in Korean Buddhist history, and his life story is a colourful one.
He reached his enlightenment after mistakenly drinking stagnant rain water from a skull while sheltering in a tomb he thought was a cave. The water refreshed him until in the light of morning he realised his mistake and became violently ill. At this point he realised that there is no clean and no dirty; the water was fine until he saw what it was, therefore all phenomena arise from the mind.
Later Wonhyo fathered a child to the daughter of the King after making his intention to spend a night with her clear in a comedic song which he sang through the streets of the then capital Gyeongju until it reached the King's ear, and his wish was granted.

Later this year a group of foreign writers and filmmakers plan to retrace the steps of Wonhyo's famous journey from Gyeongju city to the west coast south of Seoul, the site of the tomb where he reached his enlightenment.

Amita Buddha carvings, Wonhyo-am

Paintings at Wonhyo-am

Carved icons in the Sanshin-gak at Wonhyo-am .

Razor wire continuing below Cheonsang-san

Je2Cheonseong-san

Je2Cheonseong-san the second peak of Cheonseong-san, apparently used to be known as Cheongseong-san when the now Cheongseong-san was known as Wonhyo-san..got it?

Je2Cheonseong-san obelisk.

Would make you proud to be a Yangsan-shimin


The way to Soju-dong.
I thought my eyes were deceiving me late on a long day but no, the place exists, its just off road number 7 near Ungsang town. They say the stuff flows from the tap.

Yong-bawi rock below Jeongjok-san

Lee Hoon on Jeongjok-san (700m)

Theres not much better on reaching a mountain peak than meeting a friendly chap with a full thermos of coffee. Mr.Lee Hoon was the man for the occasion on this day, we compared maps and had a brew. It turns out we both live in the same town; Pohang by the sea.

Temple below the ridge near Habuk.

Next weeks ridge and the high peaks leading to Shinbul-san.

Looking back to the ridge from the graveyard above Habuk town.

Habuk town, across a similiar bridge on the same highway I crossed the morning before.

Mrs Lee and Mr Jeong.

Leaving the Busan area also means I'll have eaten my last packed lunch courtesy of Mr.Jeong and Mrs.Lee. Thanks a lot for all your assistance over the past few weeks, I hope I can return the favour some day.