Winter is now in full effect, but that doesn't mean that I love Jeju any less. While I visit the ocean regularly and long for the day when I can hop back in, there is a winter activity that beats the pants off it's summer counterpart. Hiking Hallasan tops my list of cold-weather pastimes and last weekend I had the fortune of hiking it for the first time this season. Saturday was said to be the coldest day of the year and it was with great reluctance that Tim, Liz, Brittany, and I climbed into the car at 7:00 AM.
We started up the Gwaneumsa route joined only by a group of Korean Marines outfitted in white camouflage. Thick snow covered all of the rocks and tree roots, leveling the terrain and giving us a chance to hike with our heads up. With fresh snow clinging to branches overhead, it was difficult to tell if snow was falling or just being blown. The ascent went by faster than ever, but the mountain always seems more manageable in the snow. After three hours of hiking we reached the shelter which doubles as a checkpoint. Here we found groups of hikers huddled around the food they had packed up the mountain and a ranger who informed us that we couldn't carry on. Heavy snowfall had blocked the trail between the shelter and the summit. Though we had snacks of our own, a man was kind enough to share some bread and hot tea. (I think each time I have hiked Hallasan I have been given food or Soju).
The crater of Hallasan is quite a sight, however, with the amount of snow flying through the air, I doubt we could have seen much. At least this is what we told ourselves as we turned and started down the mountain. After all, all was not lost - we still had six or seven kilometers of sledding ahead! We each pulled out our frisbees and proceeded to slide down the trail we had just hiked. I'd say that approximately 90% of Koreans really enjoy watching foreigners sledding by. The other 10% is generally comprised of grumpy old men who wouldn't be much fun to pass even if you were hiking. Our rapid decent was characterized by laughter, low speed collisions, and high speed turns with little control. I'll certainly be looking forward to our next attempt to reach the top, but until we make it, a good long sledding run will always be a great consolation in my book.
