Gwangdeoksan (광덕산) was the first mountain of our Lunar New Year ‘new mountains’ road trip. Our fun, snowy run on Gwangdeoksan really got this trip started right!
First of all, we were very impressed by how many options we had! Little did we know this mountain in Chungcheon would be so loaded with trails.
Next we were impressed by the trails themselves. We chose the long way up to prolong our enjoyment of Gwangdeoksan’s features. One of those features is a nice forest.
Emerging from the forest, we found ourselves on Gwangdeoksan’s lovely ridge. Bare branches revealed rugged views: a parallel snowy slope under a shifting and moody winter sky.
The ridgeline trail had a kind of mixed character: it remained forested rather than exposing us to the elements completely. But there was a significant, visible drop-off to either side, so we were acutely aware of being on the ridge. Just because it was forested, however, did not mean that it wasn’t rocky – it often was! Boulders erupted from the soil here and there; the trail flowing around them.
We were able to run most of the way, and so we did. Our desire for an extended adventure on this mountain was superseded by an urge to get the lead out. Unfortunately, this meant that we reached the peak all too soon!
Luckily, Gwangdeoksan has a really special, memorable summit. It was a wide open space: not really a peak at all but rather a plateau. It’s large enough for a helipad and multiple picnic parties. In fact, it’s so large that one stele was just not enough and so there are three.
We met some friends at the summit, including a nice, English-speaking man who wanted to talk to us about Inje. Our stop at the summit was really fun. I especially loved having lots of room for jumps and the multiple summit markers!
But what goes up must also go down…We were eventually prompted off the peak by increasingly windy windy weather that was blowing in ominous clouds above and an unpleasant haze below.
The route down was very snowy. This made for a bit of a tough descent for Kent, who’d mislaid his microspikes somewhere outside of his backpack. With spikes, it was actually easy and pretty fun to play in the snow! We zipped and slipped our way back through the forest to the village below.
KNOW AND GO! GWANGDEOKSAN
TRANSPORTATION
If you’re in the Cheonan-Asan area, Gwangdeoksan is your backyard, and you should probably be telling me how to navigate this mountain! Coming from elsewhere, here’s what you need to know: Asan is the closest city. Technically Asan within reach of the Seoul subway network – but it’s the second last stop on line 1 (the blue one) and definitely not all trains track this far out. Luckily, there’s also the Cheonan-Asan KTX station and the bus terminal in Asan to more directly serve your needs.
From Asan terminal and Onyangoncheon subway station, hop on bus 101 for a ride of less than an hour to the main trailheads. Unfortunately, this is also your best choice if you’re coming from the KTX, but you’ll need to do a short hop on that line 1 subway to get to Asan proper first.
There are other trailheads you can explore too. Nearly every village surrounding the mountain is home to at least one trail. Good options for doing something a little off the beaten track!
HIKE & RUN
Gwangdeoksan features lots of trails, so you’re in luck if you’re looking for a long run or multi-hour hike! This is all the more delightful considering that the Chungcheong provinces aren’t known for their extensive mountain ranges.
We made a very nice loop, but by no means explored the wealth of options on offer. There’s at least three more peaks to play with!
STAY & EAT
We stayed in nearby Asan, and so can you! Asan is a proper city with all of the things that go along with it, including a range of motels and restaurants.
But if you want to stay nearer the mountain, you’re in luck! Gangdong village has both a campsite, and a couple of pensions. Might want to bring your own food though: be forewarned!
OTHER NOTES
Gwangdeoksan is 699 meters high, but feels taller due to its rise over a relatively flat part of the country. Explore the Black Yak 100 summits summary for Gwangdeoksan here.
Gwangdeoksan was the first peak on our Lunar New Year ‘new mountains’ expedition during which we also explored Cheontaesan, Gayasan (Chungnam), Gwanaksan, Oseosan and Yongbongsan. We ran a snowy 10 kilometer loop of Gwangdeoksan.
Gear up for more mountains on the 120 summits main page, and enjoy your Gwangdeoksan exploration!