Winter Wonderland

As the winter rapidly approaches, the weather here on Jeju is getting cooler by the day. With cold enough temperatures, we've had our first snow on the island early last week. In a matter of days, Hallasan has gone from a bare mountain to being covered with snow. Even from my own balcony, I can see the change into the now newly formed frosted peak.



This week I had my second opportunity to trek up the volcano, and so three of us made plans to leave early Wednesday morning. Having already gone once before, I was somewhat more aware of what I needed to bring with me. I remembered how cold it was last time, so I thought some gloves and a toque would prove quite useful. It cost me about 37,000 won for both the hat and gloves, but I felt it was a worthwhile investment.

At about seven in the morning we made our way to Yeongsil trail. Sporting some stylish shades and five layers of clothing, I donned my hat and gloves and made my way through the woods at the beginning of the trail.



Despite the fact that my previous trip was only two weeks ago, the mountain trail has completely transformed into a winter wonderland. The ground is covered in snow and ice, and after only a few minutes of walking, my fellow climbers decide that they will put on their "icing", which are these spikes you can strap onto your shoes/boots.



They asked if I wanted any, but I turned down their offer believing my boots to be enough. They either thought I was brave or stupid...maybe both, but it turned out that I didn't need them.

Once we emerged from the forest, onto the steepest part of the climb, the path became a lot clearer and the spikes were no longer as necessary. The guide rope helped a lot and worked well enough to support us along the way.



In the weeks to come, when more snow falls on the mountain, the guide rope will become an integral part of the climb, as the steps will quickly disappear under the snow, forming almost a slide along the mountain.

Upon reaching the first lookout, I get my first view of the now frozen landscape. The waterfalls which were once streaming are now silent, the still mountainside is softly lit with a morning glow, and the plants have yet to awaken from their frozen slumber and embrace the sun...



I look to the sky and spot a cloud in the shape of an eagle...it is a good omen and something that is particularly important on Hallasan, home of the island's gods.

Serena, one of my co-workers, retells one of her own experiences with the mountain's mysticism. In a previous trip with some friends, she had stopped to pay homage to the mountain by building a small pile of rocks, something that is quite commonly done by hikers. It is also considered making a wish, but it fell down almost immediately after they had erected it. Later, on their way down the mountainside, it started to pour rain. Obviously, it was bad luck caused by the collapse of their wish pile.



As we get further up the trail we stop to have a snack. The traditional and obvious choice was oranges. If you look anywhere around the trail you can find orange peelings. Everyone loves the oranges here, even the birds. Serena attempts to get one of the crows nearby to catch a slice in mid-air. Turns out that these crows weren't quite as skilled as the ones she remembers...



We continue about our way and within a few minutes we reach the level part of the mountaintop, which quickly turns into a thick woods. I stop for a moment to look back...



Walking through the snow covered path we see a variety of plants and trees that look remarkably sublime in their frozen state. We stop along the way for a few pictures. By this time we are quite thirsty, and the river is only about a kilometer away. Instinctively, we quicken our pace...



The view once you exit the woods is simply astonishing, and any doubt that we wouldn't see much snow is now gone. It is a friendly reminder of home for me, but there is no time to stop now. The river is so close we can almost taste it...and we did.



The Witsoreum halfway station is just around the corner and we stop for some ramyon, which is a must if you ever climb the volcano. They came prepared with some egg rolls and kimchi; I handed out some apples that I brought. We make quick work of our ramyon noodles and the other food. Looking at my watch, it is about 10:30 and time to get going if we're going to keep our post-hike appointment.

Stopping for a few pictures around the 1700 m post (which is also a must and a tradition), we say goodbye to the mountain and make record time by arriving at the bottom of the trail in a mere 30 minutes.



After an adventurous four hour hike, we decide to head to a bathhouse and spa in downtown Seogwipo. I have never been in one before and I was quite nervous, but the other two reassured me that it wasn't anything that I would be uncomfortable with...unless I didn't like saunas.

We arrive at the bathhouse around noon and have about an hour's time to spend. For only 7,000 won, you can spend an afternoon in one of these places and I definitely recommend it. There is separate locker rooms which have an assortment of pools, tubs, saunas, and showers, all with various temperatures. My favourite was the massage pool, which is this shallow pool that has shower heads above. Once you press the button a stream pours down on you like a waterfall...extremely high pressured, but quite good for the back.

The sauna rooms are located in between the locker room floors. You wear these robes that look like a martial arts gi (uniform) and then enter via the stairs. There is several different sauna rooms: one with heated salts, another with some sort of plants, and individual coffin sized holes built in one of the side walls (designed for lying down in them). There is also an ice room for cooling off, but they were cleaning it out while we were there, so a dip in the cold bath would have to do.

After a relaxing hour, we left the bathhouse and headed home quickly to get ready for class. All I needed now was a nap...