I was a little nervous about embarking on another hiking adventure since the last one was so challenging and exhausting for me (I was sick for an entire week afterward). So, I decided to do a little research ahead of time and decided that Yongmasan would be a great way to "ease" back into hiking:
Mt. Yongmasan, at 348 meters high, has stationary exercise equipment along the hiking trail and an octagonal pavilion halfway up the mountain. At the summit, there is a marker showing the mountain’s height above sea level and a large steel radio tower. As you walk down towards Mt. Achasan from the summit, you will find the ruins of a small fort of the Goguryeo era (BC37~AD668) built at a strategic point overlooking the area of Jungnangcheon Stream. On the way up, you will find numerous observation platforms from which one can see a great view of some of the landmarks of Seoul such as the Hangang Bridge, Mt. Namsan, 63 City building, and Gangnam COEX. In general, people start their hike from Mt. Yongmasan and go down to Mt. Achasan, or vice versa. Either trail takes about two hours. Some areas are steep, so it is important to wear hiking boots or trekking shoes. When going up the mountain from Yongmasan Station, make sure to stop by Yongmasan’s Waterfall Park. The largest man-made waterfall in Asia, where the central falls are 51 meters high, while those on each side are 21 meters. At regular intervals, the water volume increases making a stronger flow. (http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=309631)
This is supposedly the largest man-made waterfall in Asia. We were looking forward to see it, but were really disappointed when we arrived and saw that the water wasn't flowing. But...
...fortunately, the water turned on right as we were standing in front of it!
We were SO happy!!!
Our marvelous group: (back row) Sangbum, Zane, Daniel, Jina, me, Sara, and Carrie
(front row) Jiseun, Shaun, Cha-jin, Vince, and Yuri
Beautiful Carrie
Sara and I with Vince
Carrie, me, and Jina
Kind of a view of the city. It was a little hazy... thanks to the pollution.
Zane and Daniel
a very dark picture of me with Yuri
I definitely enjoyed our time together. I'm so thankful for the people God has placed in my life here in Korea!
It took us about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. to complete the hike. Our original plan was to start at Yongmasan and end with Achasan. But somehow along the way we got a little confused and ended up missing out on Achasan. Everything worked out just fine, though. I am thankful that this hike was much more manageable than the last one. I even had energy left over afterward! Definitely a good way to renew my appreciation for hiking.
After the hike it was definitely lunch time...
I tried my first bowl of mool namyeon (buckwheat noodles served over ice with some veggies). It was absolutely delicious (mashisoyo)!
Sara and Jina - we used scissors to cut our noodles.
me with Carrie
Since it was Children's Day and we were in the area, we decided to check out the Children's Grand Park.
But there were WAY too many people, so we decided to go home instead.
1 comment:
Wow, beautiful pictures! I loved them, and and glad you guys had such a joyful time together~ JuSeong
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