Once again, we ran across the lonely road at the top of Baehu pass. The sun hadn’t quite penetrated to the pass yet, but we knew we’d soon be climbing back up into its warmth on the slopes of Yonghwasan (용화산)!
Yonghwasan immediately reminded me of Giryongsan, the very special mountain that backed our home in Inje. That’s because Yonghwasan was densely forested, had regular signs of past military activity and a long, remote ridge.
And, just like on Giryongsan, we were alone and carving a trail through deep snow. This was both fun and surprising: just across the road on Obongsan, we’d been following a well-trodden path through the snowbanks! On Yonghwasan, we were the first hikers on this route in a while.
We carried on our merry way: laughing, chatting and sometimes playing with the snow. The sun was shining, and we were on a high ridge with high morale. Yonghwasan was going really well!
And then a cloud passed over the sun. I realized with a start that my hands were wet in my woolen mittens – and my toes were starting to get cold. This was not the perfect time to encounter a sudden steep section, but right on cue, that’s what happened.
Our snow-plowing shuffle came to an abrupt halt at a cliff, with a vertical rocky face rising up on the opposite side of a chasm. Were we supposed to go…down there? We pulled out the phone to review the map of Yonghwasan we’d studied and carefully marked in advance. The phone seemed to feel the chill in the air and promptly turned off. No attempts to revive it were successful.
So we did what you might imagine people would do in this situation. We had a massive argument about the obvious correct direction, standing stock-still in the snow. After wasting several precious minutes of accumulated body heat, we came to our senses and began to explore. Kent actually slid down the cliff, grasping onto tree branches and bracing himself against boulders. I searched out another route that might go around on the opposite side, backtracking and veering off to the opposite side of the ridge.
For a few hairy moments, we lost voice contact. I beat a hasty return to the cliff to keep an eye on Kent in his precarious position. My hands hurt from the cold now, and I’d started to shiver uncontrollably.
We were rescued by a hiking group that happened to arrive just then. It’s embarrassing to admit, but too important a lesson to leave out. We didn’t have a good contingency plan or gear worthy of extended stillness in the bitter Korean winter. With no phone, no extra layers and limited supplies, we would have quickly been in serious trouble if these hikers hadn’t come along.
Don’t let this happen to you. Wear proper gear (and carry extra), take a battery and/or an emergency beacon and have a plan to self-rescue. This was only our second 100 summits mission, but it could have been our last. Kent could have slipped, I could have developed hypothermia or frostbite, and we could have been really and truly alone out there.
There were six in the hiking group that arrived in our most desperate hour. The leader immediately whipped open his bag and handed us each a hot pack. Kent gave me his and I put one in each mitten and then stuffed my hands into my sweater. The group’s members were all kind and caring, but admonished us for our impractical gear and for, predictably, going the wrong way. They seemed to know where to go on instinct, and we followed along sheepishly in their midst, humbled but grateful.
It turned out we’d all gone a little off trail – going to the left of the ridge where we should have veered right. We got past the rocky section quickly after this course correction. Thanking our saviors once more, we surged on ahead of them – more to make up warmth than to make up time. The going was all-of-a-sudden easy again, and we made good time along the remainder of the ridge.
After our harrowing experience on Yonghwasan’s slopes, we were extra happy to finally arrive on the peak! There was a massive summit stele there to greet us, bathed in a little bit of sunshine! However, our time there was short in comparison to this peak’s meaning for us – and that’s all because we were now scared of the cold!
We hurried on down Yonghwasan after our brief summit stop, eager to stay warm! Our descent was cake compared to our trials on the ridge – we actually ran nearly all the way down on an old forest road. This speedy route, combined with the addition of Kent’s jacket, kept me warm until we got to the village and into a mart. From there, it was quickly back to the bus station and into the parkas we’d stashed in a locker, before catching the bus home.
We did it! Although Yonghwasan was beautiful and we mostly had a lot of fun, we weren’t proud of our level of preparedness. At home, we immediately went online to invest in some tougher cold weather gear and promised each other we’d be much more careful in the future.
In the end, our exposure time was only about 30 minutes and the rest of the day we were running warmly and happily on Yonghwasan’s snowy slopes. But that just goes to show how quickly conditions can change and how essential it is to be prepared.
KNOW AND GO! YONGHWASAN
TRANSPORTATION
Yonghwasan just north of Chuncheon, the capital of Gangwondo. Chuncheon is easy to access, particularly from Seoul, where you can simply hop on the ITX and ride to the final station. Intercity buses also serve the Chuncheon.
Once in Chuncheon, probably the simplest way to reach the slopes of Yonghwasan is by taking the Sabuk 3-1 bus. Catch it from Chuncheon station, and ride for an hour and ten minutes to Goseong village. You have numerous options from here, including a road up to the ridge.
Another good option is to take an intercity bus from Chuncheon terminal to Yongho village. This is northeast of Yonghwasan, and also offers a choice of ascents.
You can’t get to Baehu pass by public transit, but it could be an option if you’re driving or partial to long, strange taxi rides. Just follow the 46 highway as it tunnels between Obongsan and Yonghwasan, hang a hairpin left and head up the old road to the pass. This is the most out-of-the-way trailhead, and also one of the longest trails to Yonghwasan’s peak!
HIKE & RUN
As mentioned above, there are a number of access points for your Yonghwasan climb. I don’t there’s a particular advantage to any one side – all the trails to the peak are approximately equidistant, at least from Yongho and Goseong. However, one of the routes up from Goseong is on an old forest road, which does make for quick climbing!
But I’d encourage you to spend a bit more time exploring these ridges above Chuncheon. There are great views from lesser-known peaks and some interesting artifacts of military history to discover. You could easily spend a day (in the months other than January) exploring Yonghwasan’s ridges and valleys.
Yonghwasan has an excellent network of trails and some nice peaks for you to discover. But if you’ve really got itchy feet, consider connecting on to Obongsan, just across highway 46 (don’t worry, the crossing is actually at a pass on an old road that crosses over the new highway)! Just be smart about your adventures, okay? Don’t go in mid-winter, or if you do, have the gear and experience to know that it’s right for you.
STAY & EAT
Why, in Chuncheon of course! Chuncheon is a proper city with a great lakeside location, and is completely surrounded by mountains. You’ll probably want to stay longer or come back sooner.
In terms of options closer to Yonghwasan, there appears to be a campground near Yongho, but I would check on it before incorporating it into your plans. There are another couple of campsites on the Goseong side of the mountain. There are also pensions here and other small rooms for rent.
We did not encounter food of any kind on our excursion – but it was mid-winter and we chose some unorthodox trailheads. If you’re seeking a feast, try the restaurant village on the shore of Paro Lake, just outside Yongho. Or return to Chuncheon for an array of convenience stores, cafes, supermarkets, street food and restaurants.
OTHER NOTES
Yonghwasan is 875 meters high, and rightly celebrated for its special scenery. Learn more about it on the Black Yak 100 summits list right here and/or the Korea Forest Service list here.
Our January 2018 run was a 23 kilometer winter epic, linking Obongsan and Yonghwasan in the frozen wilds of Gangwondo!
Don’t stop exploring…hold on that summit feeling on 120 peaks main page.
Be safe – and have a blast on Yonghwasan!