16 April 2024
Great wall in reverse
Geumjeong fortress hike
First of all, I know why all the Germans are here. They are all on package tours that leave on cruise ships from here. This involves charter jets from Germany. A really strange concept but quite popular in Europe. My hike today started from Beomeosa temple and there were approximately 17 tour buses, all with Germans, all wearing colour coordinated hats based on the bus they were on, colour coordinated name tags with a bus number. The highest I saw was 17 and they marched in groups like highly trained soldiers. I could do some really obvious joke here. The person holding the follow me sign for each group had 'Celebrity Cruises' written on the shirt and sign.
The average tour bus holds 40 people, so that is 680 Germans, all arriving at once to wander around a temple. Ridiculous.
Anyway, today's hike is the big fortress wall that runs along the western edge of Busan, known as Geumjeong, or even Geumjeongsanseong. I have done this hike twice before, from South to North ending at the temple, today I went to the temple and hiked north to south, this is easier as you start higher.
Last time I missed a lot of the wall by following signs too closely which direct you to the main path, the best plan is to go along the parallel path for much better views and much more wall.
Way too many photos so lets go.
The rain is gone. The drains are raging. Would I have to cross some raging streams today? Time will tell.
The road up to Beomeosa temple is nice. It is not quite how I remember it coming down. Today's stats were 14km, 28k steps, 5 hours. But that is not quite the full picture as it is probably 5k steps from the station to the temple to start the hike, and a few more at the other end to get back to the station.
After walking uphill along the road for a while I joined a parallel path along the road to the temple, this is more what I remember from my previous visits.
Arriving in the temple area and it is time for some giant rocks, and a lot of German chatter.
I am never sure if these are tombstones or not.
The temple here is extensive and quite nice. The good thing is with the Germans moving in regimented groups, you can actually avoid them easily.
A bit more temple.
And one more. Normally by the time I get to here I am exhausted as it is the end of my day, today it is the start.
Despite the rain, no raging torrent of water. Lots of rocks and these ones look mossy, but the actual ones you walk up were fine. I am standing on a little bridge to take this photo.
After about 20 minutes the path veers away from the rocks. It is here that I wanted to turn right and go a different way up to the main peak, but that way is now removed from the maps. That part of the forest is closed for natural rejuvenation, for 20 years. I think last time I accidentally went through it on the way down and ended up climbing over a sea of boulders to get back on the permitted path.
Periodic staircases today, it is a very popular hike.
So popular, that there are public toilets along the journey. The path crosses roads a couple of times at different points where you can get a bus too.
This is the North gate. I made a turn up to the highest point here, which I would then have to double back from due to the just mentioned forest rejuvenation.
The wall up to the highest peak of the day, Godangbong, which is the highest point within Busan city limits. Apparently this is also the second most popular national park in the country after Bukhansan in Seoul. A lof of strangely factual information today.
The path has some low bamboo. I love low bamboo.
The official hike map does not send you up to this peak, either on the local signs or on alltrails if you use that app. It will add about 50 minutes onto your day to go up and back.
The last bits up are staircases, so it makes for quick progress.
I thought the cloud would disappear, it stayed around this peak all day. Photos would be better with sparse or no cloud.
Godangbong peak, and other people.
Bonus view.
Peak marker. Proof I was there. Well I guess I could have given my camera to someone else to go up and back.
I am standing with my back to the spiral staircase down that goes to the closed off bit of the forest.
Time to double back and get back on the wall. You can see it below.
But I must first appreciate low bamboo some more.
Last part of my doubling back path.
Now it was time to head up again, a different way.
There is the peak I just came down from in the distance.
A photozone, OK then. They mean the actual bridge, there is no view from the bridge.
My next target.
City below. I wish it was clearer. Today was cloud rather than pollution. It never rained and was quite warm and humid.
There are people up there. Me next! Turns out they were ABK's (American born Koreans), I could hear them talking. Looked like a church group.
View from the top of the previous pic. Great view of that cool rock.
Little yellow flag. You can also see the wall going back up the hill here.
More wall, I will be going in that direction.
The fourth watchtower. I walked... all along the watchtower. I bet if I re-read my last 2 visits to here I typed the same thing both times.
There is a mixture of restored and un-restored parts of the wall. Much of it was last built in the 1500's to repel the Japanese.
At times I was walking along a sea of blossoms.
The central gate. A lot of people come up to just this bit.
You can walk through the gate, so I did.
The wall in this area is completely restored and maintained.
More wall.
The occasional view was starting to appear, I am getting closer to the end!
More view, with trees.
There is this service road up to the cable car station. There are ways to avoid almost all of it, which I did. Still it is a nice area with trees with actual leaves.
Another watchtower, this one has no view.
There is the cable car. It is operating. It is old and appears to have a driver.
Around the cable car station there is a cafe and a restaurant. Hard to fit into one shot. I will NOT be taking the cable car down, I knew the views on the way down were great.
And behold, view. Looking back to the north.
And from the same spot around to the south.
THE STANCE. The veins in my leg look concerning. Load the full size one and zoom in at your own risk.
Last view shot, I am most of the way down here.
The path down is excellent, there are a number of rocky grotto's to explore.
There is a stream to follow, but thankfully it was not flooded from the recent rain.
The exit (normally entrance) to this trail is a large park, full of badminton courts and old people doing old people things.
The park entrance.
Today I did not exit via farmland, in Busan you exit a mountain right into a high rise development.
And like I said, it is a bit of a walk back to the station. That surely is enough photos for now!