Trekking in Jirisan National Park

After a rough night on the warm floor, we woke up early, ready to tackle the national park. Our hosts apparently weren’t early risers, so we had some noodles from the local shop for breakfast before setting off. It’s about a 1 km steep road from the town to the entrance of Jirisan National Park. We hitched a ride up to the entrance. Many Koreans from Seoul drive straight there and park their cars, so we got picked up by a lovely couple in a super fancy car. Of course, they were both decked out in the latest trekking gear! :o) Jirisan National Park is free to enter; you only have to pay for parking. There are over 12 peaks in this national park that are over 1000 m high. From the entrance, a little shuttle bus takes people closer to where the trail to the top begins. It costs 2,000 won per ticket, but it’s totally worth it because it saves some energy for the climb. The highest peak in the national park is called Cheonwangbong, standing at 1915 m. It’s a 4.8 km hike to the top. The same route also takes you past the old temple, Beopgyesa, which is located at 1400 m. The hike to the temple is 2.8 km and is the most popular route. Colorfully dressed, fitness-loving Koreans come up here to pray. It looked a bit funny—people in the wildest trekking outfits praying on the floor alongside monks. Those who continue up the mountain towards the peak often stay overnight in small huts up there. We decided to just take the popular stretch up to the temple, which takes about 2 hours. The first part of the hike is fairly easy. The last part is steep, and you’re hopping from rock to rock, which can be tough on your ankles. The trail goes through the forest the whole way, so it’s not until you reach the temple that you get to enjoy the beautiful view of the area. Once we were back down the mountain—all three of us—we managed to grab another round of noodles in town. We got a lift from the entrance of the national park to Jungsan-ni. A truck stopped and let us ride in the back for the last stretch down to the town, so we avoided hiking that final km! :o) Later in the afternoon, we took a bus heading towards Jinju, which takes about 1.5 hours. From there, we switched to another bus to Tongyeong, which also takes 1.5 hours. Tongyeong is a smaller city by Korean standards, with only 134,000 residents. This city serves as a gateway to visit over 190 small islands scattered in the sea close to the coast. After sleeping on the floor and mostly living off noodles for the last 24 hours, we were really looking forward to a soft bed and some delicious food! :o)