Hiking Bukhansan

Authored By:

Casey C.

Hi Friends!

In late November, my friends and I decided to hike the tallest mountain in Seoul! Bukhansan has many trails you can take but we wanted to take the one that led us to the highest peak: Baegundae Peak. 

We started about 9 am in the morning and we decided to take a taxi to the start of the trail since the last subway station didn't take us all the way up (we didn't want to walk extra). We actually had trouble hailing a taxi but after 20 minutes, we were able to get 2 and were on our way up to the entrance of the trail!

About 25 minutes into the hike, we saw these adorable cats and stopped to admire them. They were so cute and since we were eating a quick snack, they kept surrounding us! After about 1.5 hours, we reached the part of the hike that was more like a climb. There were ropes we had to use to help us climb up the rocks and since it was so cold and foggy, it was super slippery. It honestly was quite scary at times but I was thankful that it was foggy so I wouldn't actually have to see how high up we were. The hardest part of the hike was really short but since we took our time, it took us about 30 minutes to get to the top. 

At the top, there was a flag and a huge rock that we could stand on and take photos! It was sooooo cold that we kept bundling up next to each other while we waited to take a photo! After, there is a large rock area that people sat to eat lunch/snack and just rest. One of our friends brought kimbap so we ate that while we took a break before heading down. Since it was foggy, we, unfortunately, couldn't see anything but it still was pretty cool. I am bummed that I didn't get to see the amazing view but I still had an amazing time. 

If I ever come back when it isn't foggy and super cold, I think I would hike it again! 

Talk soon,

Casey