Unmunsan (운문산): our third mountain of the day! We also sought the shortest route up here, but Unmunsan was the longest of our three outings. Our trail was nearly 4K one-way, beginning deep in the remote valley at the center of the Yeongnam Alps. A far cry from our quick, suburban climbs of this morning!
The first trick was figuring out where the trailhead even was. It seems like most people climb Unmunsan as part of a bigger adventure in the Yeongnam Alps. Perhaps we would have too, had we discovered both 100 summits lists simultaneously!
But this way meant we got to return for a third Yeongnam Alps adventure, so I suppose everything worked out just right. Mostly. One mapping app completely failed us and another only gave us the vaguest of hints about where to begin.
We drove through a town of apples, made about a dozen turns and found ourselves deep in a warren of orchards and tiny village streets. Driving directions could only take us so far before we were on our own on another of the steepest roads I’ve ever been on. I closed my eyes as Kent gunned the engine, wrapped around a tight corner and gunned it again. It wasn’t until we were at the top that Kent admitted that he had been really nervous too!
We parked on the narrow road alongside a farm and just below a reclusive gated home. Then our hike finally began! The trail was good and well-marked, despite its remoteness. It was not as trodden or ribbon-ed as many other trails we’ve tread, but we had no problem finding our way.
We decided to truly take it easy and just hike. And this slower pace was a wonderful way to experience the tranquil forest we found ourselves in. The sun warmed the earth enough to melt some ice away, and it smelled sweet. The afternoon sun filtered through the trees and warmed us too, while Unmunsan’s massive, rocky slope protected us from wind.
Comfortable and warm, we chatted about many things: from the Korean War to leaving our former lives behind. My breathing was slow and steady and my heartbeat was under control. Instead of racing, I could look around and notice little details.
I felt relaxed, and I suddenly realized it had been a long time since I did anything just for the pure pleasure of it. I wondered if our lives had become too fast-paced recently. It’s important not only to be in nature, but to have the time to truly appreciate it.
We steadily approached the saddle between Unmunsan and Gajisan. I recalled that Gajisan had been our first official provincial park back in 2016, and we reminisced over how much we liked that pretty peak.
We paused at the saddle, looking across the deep valley to Sinbulsan and Jaeyaksan in the central part of the Alps. A cable car ferried visitors to and from a ridgetop.
From the saddle, the grade of the trail increased significantly. It was a distinct second phase. There was snow in parts, and other parts were slippery with loose soil and covered by damp leaves. There were very steep sections intermixed with grassy plateaus from which we had amazing views. We carried on in silence, captivated by the scenery and the very good feeling of moving with strength and confidence over tricky terrain.
At Unmunsan’s summit, there were two steles: a small one on a scenic, grassy hillside, followed by a large one on the open summit. It felt momentous: our 119th peak of our 120 summits series and our 74th new mountain of the year! Almost there!
A cloud passed over the sun, and I remembered that we needed to get down before the sun set. So we had to descend, sooner than we would have liked to. After the slippery section, we ran down the rest of the way downhill, completing our whole Unmunsan adventure without encountering a single other soul.
Time for a short but very steep driving descent into the village maze, followed by a headlong dash to ‘eat fresh’. Unmunsan had been good to us: the perfect peak of a big mountain day!
KNOW AND GO! UNMUNSAN
TRANSPORTATION
First of all, know before you go that Unmunsan the mountain is not in Unmunsan Natural Recreation Forest. Don’t ask me why. Maybe there’s a spiritual connection?
If you drew straight lines between Daegu, Gyeongju, Ulsan and Miryang, you’d have a square box with Unmunsan at the very center. The mountain is easiest to reach from Ulsan, but that should not be taken as an indication that it’s especially easy to reach.
We were coming from the west, and I don’t think I could even recreate the complicated way we found and navigated to our trailhead. We started in Sangyang village, and while it was an excellent adventure, I’m unsure if I should be recommending it.
It’s not that we didn’t love our trail: it was perfect, actually! It’s just that the challenge of getting to it – even with our own wheels – was pretty gnarly! There was no trailhead parking and its not marked on any map. It’s a route known mainly to locals, and we stumbled onto it by happy accident. But I also don’t know if the locals would love it if cars parked up their narrow farm roads in the middle of the day, or in summer, you know?
HIKE & RUN
Suggestion: run or hike to Unmunsan from Gajisan. They’re on the same ridge! And you’re going to be climbing Gajisan anyway, right?
Even better, add both mountains to your extended Yeongnam Alps adventure!
Our route up from Sangyang is definitely the shortest way to reach Unmunsan. But there are so many more trails! If you’re looking for big hikes or long runs, this is the place. From the peak, there are long trails extending in all directions. The routes leading south will take you to the Yeongnam Alps, which are not to be missed. But who knows what you’ll find on paths leading north and west?
STAY & EAT
Apples! One thing I can wholeheartedly recommend from the Unmunsan area are the apples. We bought a box of the biggest, sweetest, juiciest red apples you ever did see. There were so many we intended to share them…but they were so delicious that we never did.
Other than that, we didn’t eat anything else local. There definitely didn’t seem to be any options in Sangyang! Truth be told, we knew there was a Subway in Ulsan, so we’d set that as our backup plan. It’s no local mountain cuisine, to be sure, but it’s wonderfully, reliably veg in a land where micro-meats are often added to things as ‘seasoning’.
We actually did stay in the (general) area following our Unmunsan adventures! There’s a cluster of motels just outside of Ulsan in Deokhyeonri (where the 24 highway meets the 69), with great mountain views, that we were familiar with from previous area adventures. There’s multiple inexpensive rooms, plus marts that are open all-night. Nice and easy.
OTHER NOTES
Unmunsan is a towering 1188 meters. However, it’s not extremely prominent due to the high concentration of towering peaks in the Yeongnam Alps! Unmunsan is found on exclusively on the Korea Forest Service 100 summits list: head here to see another short write-up.
We did a 6.5 kilometer hike in December 2018. We also hiked Bisulsan and Hwawangsan earlier the same day!
Return to the 120 summits main page to explore more.
I hope you enjoy your Unmunsan experience too!