Gogeunsan and the (not-so) secret Oedolgae

Today I finally decided it was time for me to check out the oreum I see everyday on my way to work: Gogeunsan. It's the closest oreum to my house, as well as within the Seogwipo region.

I've seen it many times from my old and new apartment, and have always been curious as to what exactly it was like up there. So after waking up rather late, I grabbed a drink and snack and scooted on up to the base of the trail.

It's only a two minute drive from Shinsikaji and easily located by following the signs. I was only doing about 30 km/h on the way up, as the road was too steep to go any faster. From the view at the base of the trail, I knew it was going to be even better once I got to the top.



There is a small parking area just opposite of the trail. At the beginning of the trail there is even a sign with some health statistics, explaining the length of the trail and the amount of calories you'll burn according to your weight class and time of completion; very helpful for anyone looking to get into shape.



About 150m up the trail is one of those random workout stops that Koreans like to have outside in recreational areas. This one had a sign explaining the effect of the stones on your bare feet; of course it was all in Korean.



Another 100m or so I noticed a sign for paragliding; yet another interesting and popular outdoor activity to do on Jeju. I've been informed that there are quite a few oreums to go paragliding from, Gogeunsan being one of them. The only problem being that the course required to do so is about 8-12 weeks, which takes up a lot of your free time.



For about 500,000 won you can enroll in the beginners level 1 certification of paragliding, gaining free access to their equipment during your training. After you've completed it, you can rent gear that you'll need to go out yourself. If you're just looking to try it out once or twice, you can do a tandem jump for about 40,000 won:

With many hills, both high and low oreums such as Yeongjusan, Wolrangbong, and Baekyagi oreum, areas near
(the) East Industrial road is particularly popular among paragliders.

Recommended paragliding places also include Geumak oreum, Dang oreum, Eoseungsang oreum, Jungmul oreum, Gunsan, Sancheondan, and Byeoldobong.

There are several schools that offer paragliding, but all of them are generally the same price for renting (around 50,000 won) and courses (around 480,000 won).

Once I got to the top, which was only another 100m or so, I was welcomed by a fantastic view of the area. It was a bit hazy out, but still warm enough to be enjoyable.



The trail leads around the summit of the oreum in a giant loop. If you walk for another minute or two, once you reach the top, you'll find a great picnic area facing Hallasan.



In the center of the oreum is a slight crater, covered with a grassy field.



Not much further down the path is the perfect launch spot for paragliding. There is a beaten path through the grass that leads down the steep slope facing the mountain. I sat for a moment to take in the view.



Continuing along the main path you'll venture through some woods, with sporadic open areas giving way to impressive views of the Seogwipo area. I could just barely see all of the islets through the haze.



The view of World Cup stadium and Shinsikaji is equally impressive.



On my way down the oreum I received a message from a friend who was at Oeodolgae, so I got on my bike and scooted down to the coast.

When I got there, I learned that they were down on rocks away from the main tourist spot, in a somewhat more secluded area. The area was a lot more busier than when I had visited previously and the gazebo, bridge, and walkway which they had been working on were now completed.

There is a narrow set of stairs leading down away from the walkway onto the rocks below.



It's quite the scenic location and is the perfect swimming hole, unfortunately it seems that come this summer it won't be as secret as it once was due to the recent upgrades.



The water level was remarkable low, and Rob even said it was the lowest he's ever seen it. Hopefully that'll change soon when the real rain begins.

On my way out, I decided to drive past the harbour to see if the newly built sailboat design bridge was open; it was not, so I continued on my way along the harbour.

The water in the port was extremely low as well. People were even down on the shore picking snails and other crustaceans.



As the sun started to set, I enjoyed a snack on the breakwater and watched the waves. I got back on my bike and headed home.