Huiyangsan (희양산) is a thriller. Pick the right route, and you’ll be using your hands more than your feet to climb this one. Intrigued? You definitely want to check out this mountain!
This was one of our most exciting days on the trails ever. We started the day with a huge adventure on Joryeongsan: a Baekdudaegan peak in our favorite provincial park, Mungyeong Saejae! Although we’d already climbed dozens of ropes and run/scrambled nearly 20 kilometers, we were not done with the fun yet. It was time for Huiyangsan!
So we drove away from the hustle and bustle of the provincial park into a remote valley nearby – which was also busier than we expected, with a whole parking lot full of tour buses! As it was late in the afternoon, the majority of folks seemed to be feasting in the small village below the mountain. It was a lively, exciting atmosphere that was infectious, and we started our Huiyangsan hike on a high!
Actually, we started running – but only at first. The initial kilometers were on a paved road that slowly turned to dirt as we passed farms and the occasional country pension. Once on the trail, the going got steeper, and rockier – but it was nothing crazy. There were people picnicking in clearings on Huiyangsan, much like on other mountains.
Then, suddenly, we left all that was easy behind. One rope followed another, followed another. We climbed, now with our arms! Like monkeys, we clung to swinging ropes with all our might and pushed off of rocky cliffs. There were at least 15 different ropes that enabled us to haul ourselves up the rocky, vertical side of Huiyangsan.
In some areas there were multiple ropes affixed, so we could ascend nearly simultaneously and side-by-side. After a day spend on the ropes, we were climbing Huiyangsan’s ropes a little easier and faster than usual. That said, ropes are never truly easy for me! I was definitely using all of my (scant) upper body strength to pull myself upward. It was slightly scary – but also thrilling. Who am I becoming? Maybe all the other crazy things that become accustomed to are making me into a braver person!
Still, when we did reach the top, I was slightly dizzy from the exertion and the view back down Huiyangsan’s crazy climb. We had to take it a little slowly along the rocky, exposed ridge to the peak!
Huiyangsan’s peak is a cool 999 meters. After appreciating the massive summit stele, we decided to linger on a cliff, just taking in the view, and it paid off big time. We had great views in the shifting, late afternoon light, and eventually the crowds dispersed, leaving us alone on top of the world!
Going down Huiyangsan was a much chiller experience on a much simpler trail. We ran on the ridge past the ropes course and alongside an old fortress wall. There we found another path down, which started out steep but became manageable. When we were back on level ground, we broke into a sprint, racing one another back to the car! It was the perfect end to an exciting, challenging and all-around beautiful day in Korea’s mountains.
KNOW AND GO! HUIYANGSAN
TRANSPORTATION
Huiyangsan is a little out of the way as far as public transit goes. Your best bet for getting to Jujin village at the foot of the mountain is by taking the Suanbo – Guisan bus, either from Suanbo or from Yeonpong village (on the other side of Ihwaryeong pass from Mungyeong). From Yeonpong, that may be 27 meandering minutes, whereas from Suanbo, it’ll be 45. Suanbo has an intercity bus terminal.
Although Mungyeong is closer – not to mention, a personal favorite! – it doesn’t have direct public transportation links to Jujin. This may or may not be a problem for you, depending on the length of run or hike you have in mind for Huiyangsan: see Hike & Run below! But you could easily take a cab from Mungyeong bus terminal to the trailhead.
We were driving, because 2018 was the year of the rental car for us. Our 120 summits mission was also the year of marts, motels and maekgeollis. Doing our adventures this way was very convenient, which is a pro only depending on your perspective. I thought it was perfect, because I’m all about efficiency – to maximize the fun! But the way we went about things might not be for everyone, because it was very busy: lots of driving and running – very little sleeping or seated eating.
HIKE & RUN
Huiyangsan is a mountain on the Baekdudaegan. This fact is all too easy to see when you consider Huiyangsan’s rocky heights and location directly between Songnisan National Park and Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park.
So your approach to Huiyangsan will be determined by what you’re doing! If you’re hiking long, this will be a scenic stop on your journey. If you’re on a peaks quest like our 120 summits mission, this will be an especially good window to Korea’s mountainous soul.
If you want to ascend quickly, the shortest routes up Huiyangsan begin in Jujin village. From here, you can make a lovely, lollipop-shaped loop up to the peak and back. I recommend going right at the fork for the most thrilling way up. Steel your nerves and be ready to rely on your upper body strength for this one!
If you want to ascend slowly, why not start right from the bus terminal in Mungyeong? This will be a much longer hike in to Huiyangsan, but it could potentially be very rewarding in all its heights and solitude! (Skip the city stuff on bus 20-1 – after a 12-15 minute ride, get out on the other side of highway 3.)
Other routes start from along the road to Bunji village. Ascending on one of these routes will take you over several other high, rocky peaks on your way to Huiyangsan.
STAY & EAT
There was some feasting being done at the foot of Huiyangsan when we were there in summer! Kent also did a successful beverage resupply run in the little tourist town – and made a new feline friend while doing so! So rest assured that you’ll have good options for food here.
As far as sleeping options go, there are a couple of campsites on the southern side of the mountain, but be aware that none are especially convenient for backpacking (far from the trailheads). Likewise, there are pensions scattered around the area. The most convenient is one in Jujin village, where you can start your hike meters from your bed!
For motels, your best bet is nearby Mungyeong – right on the outskirts of Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park! That’s where we started this mountain mission weekend (with Joryeongsan!) and that’s where we returned to after our Huiyangsan adventure: we had a date with a coffee shop and some of the best bibimbap in the land!
OTHER NOTES
Huiyangsan is a perfect 999 meters tall. As if that isn’t fun enough already, it’s worth noting that nearly every one of those meters is sheer vertical rock! Huiyangsan is found on the Korea Forest Service 100 summits list, available here.
We hauled and scrambled our way up Huiyangsan in June 2018. It was around nine kilometers of rugged, rocky fun!
Please join us for more of Korea’s 120 summits!
And please go to Huiyangsan – and enjoy responsibly!