16 March 2015
Last mountain in Busan
Hiking Gudeoksan in Busan
Today is my last day in Busan, so today will be the last day of seemingly endless mountains to climb in Busan.
Unfortunately, the view today is obscured by pollution, I feel it would have been equivalent to the views on the other days in Busan had there of been less chromium-13 in the air.
Todays mountain is called Gudeoksan, and there is very little info on it in English available on Google. I spotted it yesterday, from the coastal walk, specifically the weather radar on the top. That would be my goal today.
However now I have Korean Naver maps, with hiking trails. This showed a continuous trail over other peaks from the western most subway station, so to the west I went.
Unfortunately, the start of the trail was very obscured. I had 5 goes at finding it, each time requiring steep streets, stairs, and me peering in windows of buildings.
Just imagine you are a Korean 5 year old finger painting, and my ugly head is pressed against your window to see if theres a way through to the trail.
Finally I was able to go quite literally through a Churches fire escape, climb a small wall, and hop over a vegetable garden. Naver maps needs some work, I stood on that spot, made sure I had many GPS satellites, and it was certainly where the green arrow showing the start point was.
So maybe you are supposed to go exactly the way I did.
Todays path was strenuous, very steep in places, and on the way down I slid on my ass twice, one time sending a sizeable boulder down hill, not the first time I have done this.
Gravel with pine needles is dangerous. I dont know how the old folks arent all dead in a pile at the bottom.
It was also hot today, hot enough for me to just go with a t-shirt most of the time, and to be covered in sweat, then dust, then a kind of grey slime thats a mixture of dust, sweat and sunscreen.
Shower time I think!
One of the many staircases I ascended thinking it was a way to the start of the trail, only to have to come back down again.
Seriously, 45 minutes wasted looking for a path.
But I was determined. So using this church as a springboard into the wilderness was my best option. It worked. I tried not to walk on their vegetables.
Now we start with photos of the view. Due to the pollution today, the lower down shots will have better detail. This one is quite low.
A little further up the hill.
And still getting higher. Looking west towards the area known as Gimpo.
And the other west. The airport is out there somewhere. I could see planes descending, but they vanished into not so thin air before I could see them land.
Summit number 1 today.
This panorama has been included in the panoramas section you can access from the menu at the left.
And now a view along the various ridges to the next peak. You can clearly see the weather radar. I dont know why there isnt more info online about this excellent hiking location, perhaps because its a whole extra 10 minutes on the subway to get here?
Its me, sweating in unusual areass. I think because I was wearing my jacket for some of the way, but had it unzipped, showing off my manly chest hair / girly blue t-shirt.
Now I am somewhere along the ridge, looking back at the peak where the selfie was taken.
Annnnd, I realise these all look the same, but I am at the next peak. The main one for today.
Cool weather radar, today its measuring a pm05 level of probably somewhere around 200. Greater than 100 is end of the world. Most of the world averages 150. The scale needs work.
2nd, superior panormama for today...link at the left...you get it by now....
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And now its time to head down. These oldies are enjoying the view and their picnic.
Wild dogs! They didnt seem bothered by me at all. Perhaps they are in the final stages of rabies and delusional, so delusional that they forgot to attack me like every other dog in the world.
Random stone mounds started to appear everywhere, but theres no temple in site. Are they graves? I dont think they are, perhaps its just an old person game like reverse Jenga? Jenga is that tower of stick pulling game isnt it?
Blossoms have appeared. I am about a month too early for peak blossom hysteria, and since tomorrow I head north, where theres probably still ice, way too early.
Until then, most places plant cabbages instead of flowers for decoration. A tasty snack as you are going past following your awesome day in the mountains fueled only by a calorie balance bar.