hiking 한국

One of my favourite activities here in Korea is hiking - at least in the summer time. The weather is great, the mountains are everywhere and the trails range from a pleasant stroll to a grinding slog that has you feeling like you just went for a swim in the ocean with your shirt still on. It's a great way to see a few trees and walk on dirt and grass all while getting some excercise.

I also love the people watching aspect. You get many young people slogging it up the hills trying to keep in top physical form. You have the 40 somethings who are keen to stay in shape and some of them are doing a great job of it. You also have the old folks. These old ones are my favourites. For them, it's all about the hiking accessories and being seen rather than actually doing anything healthy. They'll be decked out in their hiking clothes, which consist of track pants or spandex and shirts with a mix of black, orange, pink and green (neon) that allow air to flow freely. You also have the giant hiking poles like you'd expect to see if you were trekking across the Canadian shield. Other accessories usually include visors, giant farmers hats, portable TV's or MP3 players blasting the best of trot 1963 (great way to almost forget you are surrounded by a beautiful forest), soju or makkeoli and water bottles. This description does not do them justice..... I'll try to find a picture later.

Stylish old folks aside the walks can be stimulating physically and mentally and I usually feel great after a good slog. Right now I am discovering a few trails that begin about 20 or 30 minutes from my house. I haven't had the self discipline to go in the mornings yet (return from my house to the peak I hike to is about 2.5-3 hours) but I've gone almost every day I've had off.

It's actually something that Korea does very well, and I hope that more westerners take advantage of these trails, which are located everywhere. You can be an hour from your house but you are surrounded by a forest (that feels/sounds sub-tropical in July and August), temples and occasionally even an old Daoist hermit (I met one on my Sunday hike :) living on the mountain and burning incense.