Every country has a sacred mountain where people gather to resonate with the mountain's energy. In order to have a full exchange, we have to first open up our hearts: a childlike yearning to feel the mountain like a mother. When that happens, Mother Nature will open its invisible spiritual gates to her children. Mountains possess a great purifying power. Hiking is a very good way to release negative emotions and memories. If unable to connect with nature, one can just enjoy the view and get a great workout out of it.
Hallasan is one of the "Soul Mountains" of South Korea. It is located on Jeju island and is the highest mountain (1,950 m above sea level) in South Korea. It is a shield volcano formed from cumulative basaltic lava flows, and historic records indicate two volcanic eruptions in 1002 and 1007 and two earthquakes in 1455 and 1570. It is a very unique, biodiverse area with more than 360 volcanic cones (oreums) scattered around it. There is a crater lake at the top called "Baengnokdam" (White Deer Lake). The mountain was designated as a national park in 1970 and as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2002.
There are several trails around the mountain, but only the Seongpanak trail and Gwaneumsa trail go up to the peak where the crater lake is located. The path to the top is not too hard (Seongpanak trail) except for the last stretch.
I started hiking the gently sloped Seongpanak trail around 7:30 am on the 25th of September, 2018, and strolled through the woods along a very well maintained trail. It is 9.6 km to the summit and takes about 5 hours to reach the crater lake. I knew that I had to pass the Jindallaebat shelter before 12:30 pm, as hikers are not allowed to proceed to the summit after 12:30 pm from this point. I paced my speed accordingly.
There were several hikers of all ages along the trail. I really enjoyed the views and all the happy faces along the way and reached Jindallaebat shelter after 4 hours of hiking (11:30 am). I decided to take a longer break, as the 2.3 Km hike to the summit from here was quite steep and strenuous.
The trail passed through the colony of fir trees at an altitude of 1,800 m. The steps never seem to end....... up, and up and up. It was challenging, but the weather was very good with clear skies and a good view all around. Being a big mountain, Hallasan's weather conditions at the top are quite unpredictable; I was very lucky. I was really exhausted after over 4 hours of hiking; my heart started pounding heavily as I inched my way upwards towards the summit along steep steps. I finally reached the summit around 1:00 pm. It was a dazzling reward for an intense journey, and I enjoyed the views of the crater lake and surrounding nature along with numerous other hikers.
I wanted to stay to enjoy the natural beauty forever, but no one is allowed at the summit beyond 2 pm. At 2:00, I reluctantly started climbing down the Gwaneumsa trail on the north side, which was much more scenic than the ascent, albeit steeper. It is 8.7 km to the Gwaneumsa camping site. The trail goes through ridges, gorges, valleys and magnificent mountain features that reveal the true nature of Mt. Hallasan. I could see Jeju city far below.
While coming down a deep gorge, a beautiful butterfly came and sat on my hand, fluttering its wings. As I continued my descent, I kept my hands still and enjoyed its company for about 30 minutes. I felt that the butterfly was talking to me about the mystic Mt. Hallasan, inviting me to stay longer. Hesitantly, I had to bid farewell to my friend as it flew away. Nothing lasts forever. I reached the Gwaneumsa camping site around 6:30 pm. It was a long day and I could not wait to have a bottle of makgeolli (rice wine) and pajeon (Korean pancake), a Korean tradition after a hike.
I always wanted to go back and hike Mt. Hallasan during the winter and experience the beauty of this majestic mountain covered in snow. I am still waiting for that day.
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