8 March 2015
Getting down to business
Hiking Bisuelsan near Daegu by bus
Brace yourself for photo overload, or more likely, prepare to scroll past many boring photos.
Today I made a rough plan to go to some mountains in the South. All I had to go on was a bus route, the bus started at the last subway station.
I thought I was onto the right plan when there were people with hiking poles waiting at the same bus stop.
A quick google confirmed that I wanted bus number 5, but then everyone else got on bus 600, except they looked apprehensive about it. The oldest loudest guy walked on with purpose and the others all followed.
Sure enough about 3 minutes later they all came running back towards me, waiting for bus number 5.
Hilariously, it arrived just before they could get on, and I had the whole bus to myself. Except the driver did make a stop in between stops to let them all on. A brief argument ensued, top dog has been relegated to the back of the pack.
The bus was supposed to take about an hour before it got to where I thought I should go, a temple of sorts.
The problem with that was, everyone else got off at various mountains before then, so many mountains! I decided to stay the course, and was rewarded with an epic 6 hours of hiking, with plenty of ice, mud, slush, rocks, rappelling down rocks. You get the idea. I will tell the story in pics.
I had my face pressed against the window on the bus ride, we went past lots of cool things, reservoirs, a large very modern industrial area, which I worked out was making cakes, new cities being built with the promise of a future empty megamall, and amazingly high quality wide smooth roads.
Korea has spent up big on roads, people here love to drive it seems. The smog in the air today was testament to that. Ruining my view. I need to tell President Park (a woman, so theres your problem, it IS international womens day...) to shut down industry and order cars off the road so I can get a clear view.
After my extended adventure through the ice, I will probably not go out for long tonight, so although theres too many photos here, there wont be enough later, got it?
My bus stop, with a few of the intrepid hikers, who ended up going some place else. Here I enjoyed a sweet red bean bun, my only food, and a can of convenience store coffee.
I assumed that at the start of the trail, there would be a convenience store, wrong.
My only water for the day came from the temples spring using the shared plastic bucket.
On the bus, the girls in front of me got off mid journey, but at the end of the day they were waiting back on the bus to go home. I assume they didnt walk it. Closer inspection of the Korean route map for this bus shows its a circular route.
Imagine my surprise when we pull into the bus companies car park, and the driver cleans the entire bus. Another driver / supervisor got on to yell at him for a while.
It turned out to be only a 10 minute stop. I really should have used that time to go to the convenience store for water...
I thought this was my mountain. No. Tomorrow maybe. Yes, more similar photos tomorrow, my feet are still fine!
Pretty sure these were my mountains. Note high quality road as mentioned above.
This is where I decided was the furthest point in the bus route, and where I should get off.
You would think there would be a store of some sort here selling water and snacks. No, just a grandma selling ginseng root.
The temple was nothing special, except it did have a natural spring and some plastic things to drink from it with.
I saw other people drinking it, so assumed it to be safe, all good so far!
The only issue was, I then saw a guy drink from it, and then have his dog drink from it.
He has to keep his dinner hydrated I guess.
Much of the grounds around the temple were under construction. There was actually a cafe under this building, but since its Sunday morning, they were all in prayer.
Prayer lead by loudspeaker systems.
And then the ice started. I sure was glad I invested in some good water proof boots.
That ridge would be my eventual destination. However I am taking the looooong route, looping around 3 other peaks to the top.
Why? Because I was having such a great time.
I was a little concerned that the ice covered any kind of path for a while.
The only way to find where to go was to look for ribbons tied in the trees.
Other sections had ropes to pull yourself up.
I was hot by now, and had removed my jacket, but gloves were required to prevent rope burns.
My arms are more sore than my legs, as they arent used to doing anything other than swinging about as I jog around every night (my main activity in my home country).
I think this is about half way up, looking back down from where I had came, and the unnamed new city under construction in the distance.
I have pushed the clarity and colors on this to show detail through the haze...
This is all thats left to get to peak number 1 of 3. I was very excited by now! Running when I could. However the ice would turn to deep mud at times, I had to walk through it with a very wide stance, straddling the centre of the path.
I looked like I had been riding a very wide horse.
And the view from peak number 1. Korea has kindly provided a viewing platform. The path along the ridge to the next peak seemed to be of exceptionally good quality.
This was surprising given the lack of signage, path, steps so far. Why spend all your money just at the top?
Panorama number 1 for the day.
Here I am, with my cool new backpack. Its actually a water bladder, but I dont have the bladder. I should have got it! I planned to just carry bottles of water and chocolate in it. That didnt happen.
Along the now well maintained path, I spotted a weather observation point / satellite spy station.
Wait, what the hell? Is that a road, and a tour bus? Yes it is. Turns out you can drive up from the other side and walk around the top.
This whole ridge area is famous in spring as it turns into a sea of pink flowers. There were observation decks and picnic spots everywhere.
Too early in the year to enjoy the pink flowers, I am well known for my love of pink flowers.
And here I am on peak number 2, with all the people that caught the bus to the top and walked a good 5 minutes to get here. I wanted to push them off.
Over the back of peak number 2 theres a temple. I thought I might get some water here. No. Looks like it will have a little shop eventually but it still had the protective plastic on the glass in the windows.
A view in a different direction, just for something different. Look at all those mountains back towards Daegu. I could have walked here!
I left all the bus people behind, and continued along the ridge towards the main peak. Here it is off in the distance. Remember it from the ground about 300 photos earlier?
And now here I am at the very top, feeling delusional due to dehydration, thin air.
Panorama time. I am certain I am standing on the highest peak, although some of those others like higher, might be because I am angling the camera downwards.
Peak number 2 was back where that observatory is. I had walked all that way along the ridge to get to here. The view was awesome the entire time.
Yeah, pretty happy with how this photo came out.
Now to go back down to where I started and find the bus home.
The route down was shorter, but treachorous. Lots of ropes. I had to go down backwards hanging onto a rope a lot of the time.
For safety, my camera went in my backpack, so no photos!
I highly enjoyed my day on what I think is called, Bisuelsan.
Bonus non mountain picture, a small town the bus went through on the way back.