Sleeping in a mountain shelter in Korea is not something I’d recommend to anyone who is a) taller than 5’6”; b) wider than a knitting needle; c) not partial to unpleasant smells; d) claustrophobic or e) liable to overheating. Given that claustrophobia is the only one not applicable to me, you can safely assume that it was an interesting night. Fortunately, I had a window birth so was able to do something about c and e…otherwise, I fear I may have smothered and sweated to death. What I couldn’t believe were the number of people snuggled up in four season sleeping bags, fully-clothed and not a bead of sweat in sight! Suffice to say, the motto of mountain shelters in this neck of the woods is ‘Pack ‘em in and pile ‘em high’. Still for the princely sum of £2.50 and the lack of hassle of pitching a tent, I was not complaining.
The following morning, whilst cooking noodles for breakfast, my stove again drew some attention. Two Seoulites, whose own noodles (purchased from the shelter staff) were not hot enough, asked if they might use my stove to reheat them. This certainly wasn’t a problem as far as I was concerned and as we waited for them to heat through, I got talking to one of them. At the age of 62, it turned out, he had boarded a bus at 10pm the previous evening in Seoul, which had brought him an his companions to Osaek for 2am. At this point they had set out up the peak (which had thus far defeated me) and walked through the night to my shelter. After breakfast, they were to head down to my start-point of Seorak-dong for about 3pm, where their coach would pick them up and take them home. Sixty-two years old! At an age where many people in our country are happy to mince around in Bognor Regis, receive honours from the Queen or take cruises round the Baltic, the Koreans are keeping the spirit of the outdoor life well and truly alive. Over the course of my two days in the park, I saw countless wizened elders hauling their doubled-over forms up and down steep mountain tracks. Amazing people…Mr. Kang, for that was his name, and I talked for about half an hour – about the differences and similarities between our two countries and cultures. I had at some point expressed an interest in returning to Korea, perhaps to teach English. At the end of our conversation, as he was about to continue his trek, he pulled out a business card and asked me to call him if I ever did come back to Korea…he might be able to help me out with accommodation or in some other way. I was totally gobsmacked! I say it right now…the Koreans are the salt of the earth. I had done as little as to heat up some noodles on my stove and this man was offering to return the favour a thousand-fold. I was touched - and genuinely sad that our paths lay in opposite directions.
With this positive start to the day, I set off up the trail with a bounce in my stride. The sun was back in business and the physical exertions of the previous day seemed to fade like all bad memories. The mountain scenery was, again, breath-taking and the hike felt easy once again. However, after an hour of pure unadulterated climb, I was beginning to remember. Fortunately, this was pretty much it as far as going up was concerned. I ‘summitted’ (sorry, been reading Jon Krakenauer’s ‘Into Thin Air’ and the Himalayan terminology is infectious) at around 11.30 and felt triumphant. This feeling slowly dissipated over the course of the following 2 ½ hours, as the steep, gruelling descent took its toll on my overladen thighs and calves. By the end, every step was agony and the sight of Osaek nestling in the valley at the foot of the mountain was most welcome.
At this point, after my arduous mountain experiences, I was fully in need of some luxury and pampering. My ‘budget traveller in Asia’ status, took a long walk off a short pier and I booked myself in to the Osaek Green Yard Hotsprings Hotel. This deluxe spa, hosting the premier carbonated hot springs in the world, is top of the list of luxury hotels. I took a palatal suite of three bedrooms, kitchenette and bathroom – all for the princely sum of £40…and immediately got naked with a bunch of strangers as I introduced myself to the idea of carbonated hot water. Not sure about the beneficial effects to health – most of which were phrased in Hangeul (and thus totally indecipherable), but the soothing effect of the hot, slightly effervescent water on my screaming muscles was nothing short of pure bliss.
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