Hiking in Mt Namsan, Gyeongju, Korea

Hiking is definitely a big part of the Korean lifestyle. With plenty of mountains in Korea, the Koreans have easy access to the activity which many Singaporeans are deprived of. With only Mount Faber and Bukit Timah, the Korean mountains make climbing our Singapore ones feel like wadding in the baby pool.

I took a backpacking and hiking trip in Korea towards the end of winter in February. Although the famous mountain in Korea would be Mount Seorak, I decided to take it easy this time and try Mount NamSan in Gyeongju. Another reason why I chose Gyeongju is because this city is reputed to have the most links to Korea’s imperial historical past.

Upon arrival in Gyeongju, I checked into Hanjin Hostel (http://hanjinkorea.wo.to). The owner of this hostel was not only featured on TV, but was and still is playing host to famous world travelers who roam the world on motorbikes and bicycles. The service is so warm and sincere that the son of the owner even took me on a personal tour of the city and beer in a pub. Ask to see the photos of past travelers and the owner Mr Kwon will gladly show them to you with added narrated stories.

The first day in Gyeongju was spent doing the tourist stuff like visiting museums, tombs and palaces. On the second day, I took bus 11 from the city to Mt Namsan area. Mt Namsan is populated with many many statues of ancient Buddha carvings into the rock surfaces. This makes it interesting for the hiker since besides the beautiful view that the mountain offers, the hiker can also see the Buddha carvings which are scattered all over the hiking trail.














There are three recommended courses for mount Namsan – Red, Blue and Green course. I decided not to follow the conventional route and join three courses together where they intersect (up the blue, along the red and down by the green). This made the hike more challenging and was also the cause of my disorientation. Halfway along the hike, the trail disappeared and I was left alone and lost. Fortunately, the new hiking pole I bought came with a compass and I was able to align the map and trek myself out of the “Holland” situation. I was so happy that after an hour of hiking, I managed to see another hiker coming in my direction. It was then I realized that I was back on trek. Turned out that midway, I was supposed to climb up onto the rock walls but I did not and that got me lost. That was also a lesson that taught me to buy a good compass the next time I go hiking.














As I mentioned, Koreans are big on hiking especially among the elderly folks. I met a group of oldies having a picnic at the peak and without being shy, I went and sat down with them. The folks were so thrilled to see a visitor from Singapore and offered me coffee, dried squid, an apple and Soh Ju (rice wine). In return, I shared some 12year Macallan which I had in my whiskey flask. The hospitality I got from the local hikers was tremendous. When the ahjashi (uncle) saw that I had difficulty peeling the apple skin, he offered to shave it for me. The height of hospitality was when they even wanted to introduce to me a Korean girl which I politely declined.

Hiking in Korea is a beautiful and fun experience and I would recommend it especially for the novice hiker. With its big hiking culture, rest stops where drinks and snacks are sold are plentiful. Most hikes take less than a day and do not require the hiker to bring sleeping bags. Hostels and motels are plentiful and the hiker/backpacker can easy find rest in a motel at low prices.