This weekend, the climbing group and I went to Seoraksan, Mt. Seorak, here in South Korea. It is the third highest peak in South Korea--2nd largest on the peninsula as Jeju Island has the highest. For some wikimation (wikipedia information), check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoraksan .
Before I get to any hiking stories, I have to mention a video from school this week. This is Woody's "Marble Maze" that he made at an art academy. I forgot how much I used to LOVE these things when I was younger. This is just another reason why I love Woody:
So, onto the hiking: When we got to Seoraksan (a 4 hour bus ride east from Seoul), it was about 1pm. We had some lunch and then took off. I volunteered to be part of the 'fast' group...which proved to be a very smart decision for me because a.) I love to be pushed physically, b.) we flew up the mountain and c.) I had already had enough nighttime hiking from the weekend before. The 'slow' group did not arrive to our shelter until ~9:00 and had been in the dark for an hour or more.
When we got to the shelter, it was a large group of Koreans cooking an eclectic gathering of food. Our group had some pork to grill, which was a shock to me. I did not know Alex was carrying a huge pack of frozen pork on his back for 5 hours. We also had some ramyeon noodles. It was a very delicious meal. Harald began making friends with some other foreigners outside the shelter and before long a grand ole time was being had.
For a while, we were not sure where we would be sleeping...to the point where we almost had to sleep outside. I do not think the second group fully understands how nerve-racking this was for about an hour as we scrambled to find a place to sleep. I was already a bit sick as it was...add in some frigid temperatures with wet conditions and a large group of Koreans and foreigners with minimal sleeping bags and blankets and you get a really bad situation. All worked out though.
Even in the shelter (we went to bed ~ 10:30pm), no one slept much. Except the Koreans, who snored like no tomorrow. Luckily, I learned in Europe to always bring earplugs whenever I do not sleep in my normal sleeping location. This kind of helped. However, there were other...events that equally led me to not sleep/want to get up as soon as friggin possible that I shall not mention here. I think I slept for a few hours...like 1-3. I do not really know. I do not look at my phone/watch in times like this because I do not want to know as it will only pysch me out.
We woke up at 3:30 am, went outside, helped clean up the prior night's festivities and got ready for the day in general. We hiked up to the peak of Seoraksan at 4:30 and prepared for the sunrise:
It was still pretty cloudy, but a LOT better than the night before. The most amazing part of the morning, to me, were the stars when we woke up. I do not think I have ever seen stars so clearly as that morning. We even saw a few shooting stars:
When we finally saw the sun, everyone was really excited. It made the whole trip even more worth it. The way down from the peak was pretty spectacular as well...as we could finally see more than 10 meters without seeing clouds/mist. The color is just beginning to change there, as well:
Eventually, though, we ran into some more clouds and mist. It was nice though, for me at least. The mist was light enough that we could see the rocks around us, or silhouettes of the rocks, and what we could see was pretty spectacular; it left the rest up to the imagination:
Overall, despite getting a little bit sick (which I am no fighting by trying to sleep for as much as possible every night), it was an amazing time. I want to go back whenever I can, as long as I have a somewhat more secure sleeping plan. Thanks to everyone who made it an amazing trip!
Alan
9.28.2009
9.20.2009
A Harrowing Weekend
Videos from this weekend:
I particularly like the end of the first video...because Martin yells my name and it just makes me laugh hearing his voice.
This repel was really scary for me at the time...but now seems very easy compared to what came after.
So, this was the view on the final rock. I was the third of sixteen climbers to the top of this rock...so I had a while to chill and hang out before the final repel. The final repel was ~55-60 meters. About 180 feet. About half of it, ~30 meters, was free-hanging. What that means is that I was just dangling off two ropes and my harness, slowly repelling down. It was so fantastic, but let me first explain the conditions:
So, as you can see in the third video above, it was beginning to get dark by the time we were on the final rock. By the time we got everybody down the final repel, it was ~9:30pm...and it was dark. I should add that we all repelled down in the dark...Seoul looked beautiful afar from the mountain. A memory I will never forget, that is for sure.
When everybody got up to the final rock, we had to hang those same ropes down for the repel...unfortunately they got tangled on our first attempt and we had to pull the lead climber back up. It took 6 men. We fixed the ropes and each went down one by one...about 5 minutes from hook-up/prep time to the ground. So it took a while for 16 climbers to get down.
Part of me wonders if it was more soothing at night, this repel. I do not think the full shock of how high and exposed to the open world I was hit me in the night. A blessing in disguise perhaps. Regardless, it was a very cool feeling at night. I wish I could post a video here to do it justice.
We still had to hike down a rocky, ridgy path for 2.5 hours after we finished the repel. We did not get off the mountain until 12:30am. I was on that mountain for about 15 hours. One of our organizers fell on the way down and got pretty hurt...but I believe he will be alright. I spent the final two hours just walking with him, trying in some way shape or form to show gratitude for the amazing events he has graciously assembled for all of us.
Alan
I particularly like the end of the first video...because Martin yells my name and it just makes me laugh hearing his voice.
This repel was really scary for me at the time...but now seems very easy compared to what came after.
So, this was the view on the final rock. I was the third of sixteen climbers to the top of this rock...so I had a while to chill and hang out before the final repel. The final repel was ~55-60 meters. About 180 feet. About half of it, ~30 meters, was free-hanging. What that means is that I was just dangling off two ropes and my harness, slowly repelling down. It was so fantastic, but let me first explain the conditions:
So, as you can see in the third video above, it was beginning to get dark by the time we were on the final rock. By the time we got everybody down the final repel, it was ~9:30pm...and it was dark. I should add that we all repelled down in the dark...Seoul looked beautiful afar from the mountain. A memory I will never forget, that is for sure.
When everybody got up to the final rock, we had to hang those same ropes down for the repel...unfortunately they got tangled on our first attempt and we had to pull the lead climber back up. It took 6 men. We fixed the ropes and each went down one by one...about 5 minutes from hook-up/prep time to the ground. So it took a while for 16 climbers to get down.
Part of me wonders if it was more soothing at night, this repel. I do not think the full shock of how high and exposed to the open world I was hit me in the night. A blessing in disguise perhaps. Regardless, it was a very cool feeling at night. I wish I could post a video here to do it justice.
We still had to hike down a rocky, ridgy path for 2.5 hours after we finished the repel. We did not get off the mountain until 12:30am. I was on that mountain for about 15 hours. One of our organizers fell on the way down and got pretty hurt...but I believe he will be alright. I spent the final two hours just walking with him, trying in some way shape or form to show gratitude for the amazing events he has graciously assembled for all of us.
Alan
9.15.2009
My Apartment
Also, on my way home from COEX mall tonight, I decided to stop at a Mr. Pizza to see how much a pizza would cost. I ended up getting a "Hawaiian Delight" pizza with ham and pineapple for about 13,500 won...or about 10 bucks. A good deal, I think. It was amazing...first pizza in two months for me. Here is a picture of the box, which took them about 5 minutes to wrap up in that ribbon:
Alan =)
9.13.2009
Settling In
I have been in South Korea for eight weeks now (officially two months this Friday--the 18th). I have begun to find my rhythm, a rhythm that I like. It goes something like this:
Monday-Friday: Wake up ~7:30-7:45am. I make tea, I make some sort of breakfast--usually nothing more than cereal unless I have a lot of time--and some other small tasks for about an hour. I arrive at work around 9:00am. Depending on the day, I have things that I have to get done. The kids arrive by 9:40am and I have to formally begin teaching at 10:00am. The kids learn basic English...and there is a lot of coloring involved. I have 50 minutes for lunch, starting at 12:10pm. I usually make a quick run and get some gimbap:
The kindergarten-ers leave at 2:20pm. Then, I either teach elementary kids from 2:40-4:30 or 6:30, depending on the day or how much my schedule has randomly changed.
At night, I have a wide variety of options. On Wednesdays, I usually go out with my friends from home for some dinner or other random shenanigans. Other days of the week, I meet up with other friends from the hiking group or some of my Korean friends. Some days I do absolutely nothing and come back to my apartment.
Saturday: I enjoy spending my time with a group of rock climbers organized by a couple Koreans, Mr. Kim and Alex Lee. I owe so much to them. In the past few gatherings, I have met people from Lithuania, Mexico, Sweden, England, Canada, all over the United States and more Koreans. I really enjoy the people. The activities we do are very enjoyable as well. We have done rock climbing, hiking, rafting, bike riding, and yoga...all in the last 4 weeks! I plan to spend as many Saturdays as I can with this group.
Sunday: I am lazy. I try to do at least one thing on Sundays...something that will get me out of the house. Usually this involves shopping and spending money at some of my favorite stores here (read: Nike, Adidas, Uniqlo, Giordano, Xara, Puma). But sometimes, like today, it involves traveling to see something that is significant to the Korean culture. Today, I went to the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, a UNESCO Heritage Site, with Jessica (another rock climber/yoga enthusiast from Saturday) and her friend Brandon:
That is usually how my week goes...with slight deviations. This weekend has been a good weekend. It was needed.
Here are a couple videos from last week:
1.) Me explaining a bit of my work life as well as the area where I live.
2.) A video of the Banpo Bridge, which I live near, and the water fountains that are on it.
Alan =)
Monday-Friday: Wake up ~7:30-7:45am. I make tea, I make some sort of breakfast--usually nothing more than cereal unless I have a lot of time--and some other small tasks for about an hour. I arrive at work around 9:00am. Depending on the day, I have things that I have to get done. The kids arrive by 9:40am and I have to formally begin teaching at 10:00am. The kids learn basic English...and there is a lot of coloring involved. I have 50 minutes for lunch, starting at 12:10pm. I usually make a quick run and get some gimbap:
The kindergarten-ers leave at 2:20pm. Then, I either teach elementary kids from 2:40-4:30 or 6:30, depending on the day or how much my schedule has randomly changed.
At night, I have a wide variety of options. On Wednesdays, I usually go out with my friends from home for some dinner or other random shenanigans. Other days of the week, I meet up with other friends from the hiking group or some of my Korean friends. Some days I do absolutely nothing and come back to my apartment.
Saturday: I enjoy spending my time with a group of rock climbers organized by a couple Koreans, Mr. Kim and Alex Lee. I owe so much to them. In the past few gatherings, I have met people from Lithuania, Mexico, Sweden, England, Canada, all over the United States and more Koreans. I really enjoy the people. The activities we do are very enjoyable as well. We have done rock climbing, hiking, rafting, bike riding, and yoga...all in the last 4 weeks! I plan to spend as many Saturdays as I can with this group.
Sunday: I am lazy. I try to do at least one thing on Sundays...something that will get me out of the house. Usually this involves shopping and spending money at some of my favorite stores here (read: Nike, Adidas, Uniqlo, Giordano, Xara, Puma). But sometimes, like today, it involves traveling to see something that is significant to the Korean culture. Today, I went to the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, a UNESCO Heritage Site, with Jessica (another rock climber/yoga enthusiast from Saturday) and her friend Brandon:
That is usually how my week goes...with slight deviations. This weekend has been a good weekend. It was needed.
Here are a couple videos from last week:
1.) Me explaining a bit of my work life as well as the area where I live.
2.) A video of the Banpo Bridge, which I live near, and the water fountains that are on it.
Alan =)
9.06.2009
Bukhansan
Hey friends,
The last few weeks have flown by, but all is well. I have been teaching for five weeks. I have been here for seven. Wow. The kids are great. I have met a lot of cool people hiking...some of whom have found this blog! So here is my shoutout to the Climbing in Korea folk, you all rock =p.
Here are two videos from this weekends hike at Bukhansan. Watch them both!
I could not get YouTube to work for me in Korea (to upload) for some reason...some law, but props to Vimeo. It is pretty nice.
I am excited for Thursday...it is my payday. My first full payday. Some of it will be spent on some small expenditures that I want (an iron, some nice new pants, maybe a new fan, some random hiking gear) and some of it will be spent on a recordplayer because I am dying to get a chance to play my records. If I ever get to play my records, I will post a video up here. Hopefully, though, most of it will be saved. I think it will be easy to save a decent amount here...even with college loans.
Anywho, it is getting late. I hope all is well back home and keep in touch!
Alan =)
The last few weeks have flown by, but all is well. I have been teaching for five weeks. I have been here for seven. Wow. The kids are great. I have met a lot of cool people hiking...some of whom have found this blog! So here is my shoutout to the Climbing in Korea folk, you all rock =p.
Here are two videos from this weekends hike at Bukhansan. Watch them both!
I could not get YouTube to work for me in Korea (to upload) for some reason...some law, but props to Vimeo. It is pretty nice.
I am excited for Thursday...it is my payday. My first full payday. Some of it will be spent on some small expenditures that I want (an iron, some nice new pants, maybe a new fan, some random hiking gear) and some of it will be spent on a recordplayer because I am dying to get a chance to play my records. If I ever get to play my records, I will post a video up here. Hopefully, though, most of it will be saved. I think it will be easy to save a decent amount here...even with college loans.
Anywho, it is getting late. I hope all is well back home and keep in touch!
Alan =)
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