Hello! Monthly update here!
The last month I've still been fighting a futile battle against the cold, or more accurately cowering inside to avoid any confrontations. But, I finally decided to give in and get outside a little bit. I got a chance to do a little hiking in the past few weekends with a friend and hiking buddy Heidi, which was literally a breath of fresh air. Winter really wears on me here!
If you weren't aware, Korea is quite mountainous, filled with modest peaks reminiscent of the Appalachians I am used to. Even Seoul is surrounded by mountains, which was once for strategic protection against enemies. Luckily, today that means lots of nice parks for hiking and getting into the fresh air.
My first attempt at hiking went pretty well - we basically climbed out of the smog right in the southern part of Seoul. Just a few hours, and the view was just of the city, but it was still very refreshing. It's always fun to be amidst the Korean hikers, who are a devoted and well-equipped bunch. When you are trying to make your way to the mountains using public transport, you can easily follow the throngs of other hikers who are recognizable by their extensive gear. However, it's rare to see young hikers. They are nearly all ajumas and ajushis, meaning older women and men.
Our second hiking expedition was a longer trip. We took the bus 2 hours to Daejeon (where my roommate's family lives) and visited a national park called Gyeryong-san (impossible for me to say with my terrible Korean pronunciation). It was absolutely gorgeous because of at least a few inches of fresh snow everywhere. Unfortunately, the snow was a bit unexpected and Heidi and I were not so well-prepared as our Korean friends, having only tennis shoes and no hiking poles. Hiking a couple of hours to Sambulbong peak was no problem, with just a few tricky parts. However, the descent was much more trying, especially for me. I was slipping so much on the snow that I had to walk at a snail's pace. Finally, a nice guy behind us offered for me to borrow a traction device that slips over your shoes to use on snow and ice. It wasn't exactly a crampon, but just a smaller "ice cleat" that rests at your instep. In Korean, it was called something like Ai-jen. Not sure...but it basically saved me life! Overall, it felt like a winter wonderland there, and restored some life to my body.
Last weekend's trip to another national park was canceled because it rained, but I know there will be many more chances to explore Korea's peaks this spring.With warm wishes and thoughts!
Alison
