Tigers & Magpies

Insubong shrouded in fog viewed from Yeongbong

On my last hike at the beginning of May, I visited Bukhansan National Park’s Dobongsan Mountain. The national park is divided into two sections: the Dobongsan side, and the Bukhansan side. For my second hike in the park, I wanted to visit the Bukhansan side. I wanted to visit Insubong (인수봉/810m) after seeing pictures of it on the Korean hiking website www.koreasanha.net. There are lots of trails and ways to enter the park, so I called tourist information and they suggested I start from the neighborhood of Ui-dong (우이동) (directions at bottom).

Insubong shrouded in fog viewed from Yeongbong

At the Ui-dong entrance to the park is a ranger station where you can get really nice maps, but they are only written in Korean. Trail signs, on the other hand, are written in both Korean and English. It may help to have your route planned before you go if you can’t read the Korean language map.

Can you find the climbers?

On of my main goals of the hike was to get photos of Insubong like some that I saw online. To do that, you need to hike to an adjacent peak called Yeongbong (영봉/694m). It takes about an hour to get to Yeongbong from the start and makes a great destination if you want a short hike. There is space for sitting and eating while taking in great views.

Climbers are rewarded with a secluded resting place

After taking the shots I wanted, I made my way back towards Baekundae (백운대/836.5m), the highest peak in the entire park. That took just over an hour. The last bit of climb includes some rock scrambling and the use of ropes and rails for balance. Around the peak of Baekundae is plenty of space for folks to sit and relax. Standing on top of Baekundae allows you to take in what might be the most fantastic scenery in the park. This scenery includes another look at Insubong as well as other rocky outcrops.

Taking it in at Baekundae

The only way I could tell that people get to the top of Insubong is to use climbing gear. There were easily 50 people climbing it’s giant walls at the same time. It was interesting to see so many people climbing and to marvel at how small they look compared to the mountain peak.

This is just a portion of Insubong as seen from Baekundae... it's big!

Sitting at my desk and looking back, this is probably the greatest hike one can do when visiting Seoul. I know it was only my second hike in the park and there are many other trails, but I’m comparing this hike to the 39 other hikes I’ve written about on this travel blog. I would easily put this one in the top 10 hikes in Korea.

Resources
Insubong Photos (Koreasanha.net) (Korean only)
Bukhansan National Park (Korea National Parks Service)
Bukhansan National Park: Insubong (Tigers & Magpies)

Directions
Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2
Bus 109 (50 minutes) to the very last stop at Ui-dong Bus Terminal
Cross the street to take the temple shuttle which departs every 30 minutes (first come first serve and you are asked to donate 1,000 Won to the temple when you get off) OR taxis are available but they will only take you if they have 4 passengers at 2,000 Won a head. If you aren’t in a group of 4, you will have to wait until more hikers arrive to share the taxi.
You can also walk up the hill but that will take 30 minutes and some of your hiking energy.

I lived in Seoul for two and a half years after coming to Korea, and then lived in Daegu for two and a half years. Now that I’m living in Seoul again, I see it with different eyes. I didn’t take advantage of the mountains around Seoul back then. So now that the weather is sunny and warm, I’m determined to explore them. To this end, I went to Bukhansan National Park (복한산국립공원) to climb Dobongsan Mountain (도봉산/739.5m) at the beginning of May.

Uiam observation deck with view of Obong (오봉)

Bukhansan National Park is divided into two sections: the southerly Bukhansan section, and the northerly Dobongsan section. Both sections have a great deal of temples and trails that criss cross the mountains and valleys. For information about the real name of Bukhansan, see David Mason’s post on Sanshin.net.

Two hikers take in the scenery

To get to the Dobongsan mountain range, I went to Dobongsan Station and crossed the street. From there it’s a short walk to the trail head. There are other starting points, but this was one of the easier ones to find. You can buy kimbap and drinks around the starting point too.

The course I chose was to first head to Uiam (우이암), which I had heard was an easier way to climb the mountain. Plus, I was hoping to take in some views of the other peaks. This portion of the hike took me about 1.5 hours, only stopping to catch my breath or to photograph birds. One of which, the Great Spotted Woodpecker, is an iconic species of the mountain.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

I was pleased to find a Great Spotted Woodpecker along the Uiam trail. In fact, I saw three in the same area, but only one of them was in range of my camera. The photo isn’t the best, but if you look closely, you can see its distinguishing characteristics. The lower portion of its belly is solid red, and the upper portion is solid white. The lower portion of its back is black with little white spots, and the upper portion is black with one big white spot. I think this is how it gets the name “Great Spotted”.

White-backed Woodpecker

For comparison, I also photographed a White-backed Woodpecker on my way down from the peak. This photo is much clearer not because I was much closer, but because the lighting was better. I find woodpeckers to not be as afraid of people as most other birds, so when they are near you, you can get a good look. The main distinction between the two species that is easiest to see is that the White-backed Woodpecker has small black stripes on the white portion of its chest. Also, the back lacks the single large white spot.

Rufous Turtle Dove

Another bird I saw is called a Rufous Turtle Dove. It looks like a pigeon. Pigeons and doves appear in my guidebook together, however, I find the Rufous Turtle Doves to have a more beautiful feather pattern than your average pigeon.

On top of seeing these birds, I also finally identified a bird that I’ve been hearing on Korean mountains for the last three years. I would ask hikers anytime I could hear the bird if they could identify it. I even became good at mimicking the sound. This time, however, I asked a group of workers who were cleaning the park and one of them knew a bird expert. He called and I quickly had my answer… it’s called an Indian Cuckoo and sounds like this great recording I found online. You have no idea how happy I am to know the name of that bird.

I think this is Shinseondae and Jaunbong is behind it

If you are just looking for a short hike with great views, you might consider just hiking to Uiam and back. The views from there are wonderful and it makes a great place for a picnic. I considered it myself, but decided to push on. In retrospect, Uiam is a much better place to eat because the peak, Jaungbong (자운봉), has very little space to sit.

A lone hiker takes a rest on ridge between Uiam and Jaunbong

The trail from Uiam to Jaunbong only took me one hour. It’s a nice ridge hike with some rock scramling. Jaunbong itself offers a great view, but isn’t the kind of peak that you will want to stay on for too long because it’s too small for large numbers of people.

Escaping Seoul is easier than you think

There were a number of trails down the mountain, and it got a little confusing. I had planned on descending another section, but just decided to get back to the same starting point. It took me about an hour to get down. The next time I go, I’ll have a better idea of the options.

Sitting at my desk and looking back, this was a great hike. The views from Uiam might actually be better than from Jaunbong. I think ascending via Uiam is a great option and I’m glad I did it that way. In the future, I’d like to ascend from the area around Mangwolsa Station, just one stop further.

Resources

Dobongsan Mountain (Official)
Bukhansan National Park (Korea National Parks Service)

Waiting for customers at Chilseong Market

For the adventurous traveler, it’s hard to not like traditional markets. The markets are full of strange sights and smells, and steeped in culture. Every town has at least one market, and big cities naturally have the biggest markets.

Fish seller chats with customer

Daegu City has two very large markets: Seomun Market (서문시장) , and Chilseong Market (칠성시장). Seomun Market is the more popular market because it is the largest and has the most vendors. I made several trips to Seomun Market while living in Daegu, but just one trip to Chilseong Market.

Korean cookies! You always get free samples! Try them!

Chilseong Market is much like any other market. It has special areas dedicated to selling certain products like a seafood area, fruits and vegetables area, dried foods area, and small eateries. For me, my favorite thing about going to markets is visiting the eateries.

Dan-gol Shik-dang

While I was walking around Chilseong Market, I stumbled upon a small restaurant named Dan-gol Shik-dang (단골식당) which was selling charcoal-grilled beef (연탄석쇠불고기). The sign on the door said the business had been there for 45 years, a clear indication that the food is good.

Charcoal-grilled beef

I couldn’t resist and put an order in for a single serving and then asked if I could take a photo of the owner cooking my meal. As you can see in the photo, there were three separate cylinder shaped grills covered in what looked like inches of black grease. I would not be surprised if those were the original grills used 45 years ago.

The owner of Dan-gol Shik-dang and her employees

The beef cooked quickly and I was enjoying my meal just minutes after I had ordered it. As side dishes for the beef I was served a bowl of rice, sesame leaves for wrapping the meat up, and some stuff for adding flavor. With a beer to wash it down, I was as happy as can be. The beef was a little on the fatty side and a little charred, making it very flavorful. I experimented with the soy sauce and fermented brine shrimp sauce, but they were just too salty for me. I finished my meal and, satisfied with my trip to Chilseong Market, went home.

The daily grind

Sitting at my desk and looking back, I enjoyed my trip to Chilseong Market because of the food and now I regret that I didn’t explore its eateries more while I was living in Deagu. Don’t let that happen to you.

Resources
Chilseong Market (Galbijim)
Seomun Market (Tigers & Magpies)