A Walk in the Woods

I took at hike up Bulramsan(불암산) Mountain on Saturday. It is always an adventure to find the trails on the lesser known mountains in Korea and this time was no different.

 

From Sanggye Station (Line # 4),  I took a right out of exit 1 and walked toward the main road. I took a left at the main road and walked straight until I came to a street veering to the right. Before the veer I turned into a park on the left and walked past green apartment buildings past orange smoke stacks. 

After some searching around I found the trail head.

The mountain trail was consistently smooth slopes surounded by plants that grew around the rocky surfaces and through them. 

Spring is at its apex this time of year and the Rhododendrons filled this mountain.

The grounds were a little slippery but my sure footedness was a definate improvement over last years hiking. Korean mountains will teach you to walk balanced or pay the consequences. 

Half way up I snapped some pictures from a gazebo. 

The last stretch up the mountain required some courage as there were places that you could fall badly. 

A climbed the last 10meters up a craggy face with large gaps in between.

 The views were great. 

The West Side, from where I started.

The South Side.

The North Side.

The top most peak required stepping over gapped rocks. Falling was not an option. 

I'm glad this picture was taken to remind me to get a haircut. 

When I got back to the base of the mountain. I saw a person selling herbs one of which was Siberian Ginseng or 오가피나무. It's interesting stuff because it's not related to Ginseng at all but they have similar chemical compounds. It is good for fatigue relief. I've yet to try it yet and I definately want to get some at some point. 

I brought some Kudzu plant home for my new friends.

The white one is female and the grey one is male. Wife brought them home. They haven't been named yet.

He likes it.