FALLing in Love with Hiking

With so many people living on top of each other in countless skyscraper apartments that lack any inspired architecture, it is no wonder that the Koreans in Seoul love their outdoor activities. Hiking is a very popular pastime here.

 

Compared to back home, hiking in Korea is much more recreational. The trails are crowded and at the bottom, and sometime even on the way up, there are restaurants and bars. In true Korean form, the trails are also lined with hiking fashionistas. The North Face and Columbia must be making a killing here, because everyone is decked out from their boots to the special pants, jackets and backpacks. If you just saw a lone hiker on the street, you would think that they were geared up for some serious expedition.

 Last weekend Zach, Kim, Laura and I set out to take in some fall foliage at the nearby Bukhansan National Park. 

It is a short tax ride from the subway, so it gets packed on the weekends when weather is nice. There are endless paths in the park, and I’m not sure which one we opted for, but I was winded before we got to the first set of restaurants. The thing about mountains in Korea is that most of them go straight up. Elevation-wise, they aren’t horrible, but the trail we were on was like being on a Stairmaster for two hours straight. Luckily, the leaves were beautiful so we made plenty of stops for photos and oxygen.

                                                               

Zach and Laura made it all the way to the top, but Kim and I decided to have an apple and save our energy for the trek back down the hill. We weren’t far, but the trail was getting very crowded and my legs were Jello. Since it is so close, I will definitely return to conquer the mountain, but for my first visit I was pleased just to get out and see all of the amazing fall colors.