In 2016, Dobongsan (도봉산) was our Christmas present to ourselves. We were back in Korea for one short week between some travels in South America and starting work in Malaysia. A little Buddhist bed and breakfast below the mountain beckoned – as did a return to Bukhansan National Park (북한산국립공원)!
When we returned to Dobongsan in 2019, it was spring – and the mountain had a completely different look!
The winter wonderland experience
Back in 2016, we hadn’t actually intended to spend Christmas in Korea. But a series of mishaps with our travels, inter-familial communication and our alien visas meant that we’d be dreaming of a white Christmas in the ROK once again. But this year, we got our wish! Dobongsan was a paradise of snow and wild winter scenery!
It was a cold and blustery day, even at street level. Heavy grey clouds hung low overhead, and the wind whipped my words away as soon as I had spoken them. Still, this was our day! Kent and I had planned an ascent of Dobongsan and we weren’t going to let a little inclement weather stop us from our summit.
Climbing fast and hard was our solution to staying warm. The forest, sprinkled with snow, was calm and quiet. Despite the mountain’s location in Seoul, there were no other footprints to be found. Could we possibly be alone in the national park today – or were we just taking an unpopular route up?
On the ridge, it certainly seemed like we were indeed alone. Save for the ravens and cats, that is! Two little black and white cats prowled high on the ridge. Maybe in warmer times, picnicking hikers offer them food, or maybe vendors set up shop here on the weekends. We wondered about their little lives as we knelt and tried to entice them over for pats. Huge black crows cawed the news of our arrival over the forest, flying from tree to tree ahead of us.
The path we were treading was becoming more and more magical. In the city, the snow had been sparse and illusive. But on the ridge, everything was frozen. A layer of snow bordered the trail, and a thin layer of ice covered it in places. Pine trees were painted silver with hoarfrost. Snow dusted the tops of boulders and filled in the cracks between them.
As we neared the top of the mountain, it began to snow. A light sprinkling of crystalline flakes at first, which soon grew to a wilder, wetter flurry. The wind picked up as we emerged from the forest, whipping my hair around my face and sending swirling snowflakes everywhere. This same wind also polished the layer of fine ice on the boulders of the trail into a treacherous, invisible glaze.
The going got slow at this point. I was slipping around so much that once I was on my hands and knees, I opted just to stay there! It was breathtaking: beautiful as well as slightly dangerous. I would creep forward a little bit, then stop to gaze around me. A white Christmas! On the top of a mountain! What an incredible experience!
Of course, slowing down so dramatically created another set of problems. I was lingering with my hands and feet in piles of snow, which melted at the heat of my body. This, combined with the notoriously poor circulation in my extremities, made me cold. Really cold. The dangers suddenly felt more dangerous, and the storm more stormy. I was happy that we were already at the peak, because I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go on.
We made our way – slowly, slowly – onto the top. Sinseondae, the highest hike-able peak at 740 meters, was a rocky plateau. It did not seem to be marked with the usual summit stele. Instead, there was a large, snow-covered plaque. When brushed, it revealed a panorama of named peaks around us. The snowstorm, however, rendered them invisible.
Turning tail and scrambling down almost immediately, we hurried back towards the relative shelter of the forest. Once there, and once the blood began to recirculate around my fingers and toes, I regretted that we’d been so hasty. We love peaks! But this peak in that weather had been a little hazardous, so in the end, I was grateful that we were heading back down.
But descending did not necessarily mean our adventures were over! We chose a path that led us to a little temple, tucked high up on the mountain slopes and ‘guarded’ by two friendly dogs. It was nice to take a little time on the way down, appreciating the pretty winter forest as we went. We were in our happy place on this winter holiday.
The sunny spring experience
Our 2019 adventure on Dobongsan was so different in appearance from our original climb that it might has well have been another mountain! But just like in 2016, we were back in Korea to visit it by pure chance. Staying in Seoul to deal with complications in our Chinese visa application process, we took advantage of our time to revisit this dramatic, rocky peak.
The weather was blissfully warm compared to our wild winter adventure. The day was sunny and bright, and the forest was lush and green. Flowers were blooming with abandon all along the trails.
And flowers aren’t the only pops of color on the mountain slopes in May! Lively paper lanterns decorated the trees in celebration of Buddha’s birthday. It seemed as though humankind and nature were united in joyful festivities, and this made for very merry running!
Free of snow and ice, we ascended rapidly. Which is not to say the trails on Dobongsan are easy: they most certainly are not! It’s a massive climb to the summit, involving stairs and rocky scrambles.
But the views are always worth it. On our second climb, we had better visibility and greater view distance. We took our time, alone at the peak, to take in the city laid out at the foot of the mountain. This is why I love Bukhansan!
To mix things up and see a little more of the mountain, we decided to take a new route for our descent of Dobongsan. And it was gnarly. Running intervals were few and far between, but my heart continued to pound as we navigated ropes courses and skidded our way down rocky slides.
Back at the entrance gate, my initial impression of Dobongsan had been confirmed. Sun or snow, this is a tough hike! But if you’re prepared for a little adventure, it’s one of the best Seoul has to offer.
Know and Go! Dobongsan
Transportation
As it’s in Seoul, Dobongsan is a snap to get to! You can easily take the metro straight to Dobongsan station on the line 1 or line 7. The highest density of trail-heads can be found here, but other options abound! Trails ring this mountain, rising out of various neighborhoods to the east and north. For a longer adventure, consider starting or ending in Uijeongbu.
Hike & Run
There are a truly dazzling array of hiking options here. Looking at the map for this mountain can be almost overwhelming – but just think of all the options you have! The variety of ways present a showcase of varied mountain scenery, at a variety of difficulty levels. This is also a great place for loops: giving you the chance to take in more of this mountain!
If you’re coming from Dobongsan station, the routes don’t begin to fork until after the Dobongsan Park Information Center. Consider stopping there to have a look at the map again and plan your route.
In addition to the main peak and several temples within the park, many hikers go for the thrilling, knife’s edge ridge and steep cliffs of Podae Ridge and Y valley. This area is marked in black (expert) and purple (advanced) at the top of the trail map above. This is definitely an exciting and worthwhile part of the hike – if you can keep your vertigo in check! Dobongsan (as part of Bukhansan National Park) is equipped with ropes and railings for your safety. Still, this is an extremely steep and challenging part of the trail – so it might not be for everyone. As always, use good judgement, take care of yourself and your hiking companions, and stay focused.
Stay & Eat
There is a mountain shelter on Dobongsan, but you can’t sleep there. Plan to base yourself in the city below – or anywhere! Dobongsan’s convenient location in northern Seoul makes this mountain a great day trip, particularly if you already live in Seoul or Gyeonggido. If coming from elsewhere, there are places to base yourself near the mountain – but feel free to base yourself near your favorite eatery or in your favorite neighborhood, if you so choose.
As always, there are stalls selling snacks near the base of the mountain, and several nearby sit-down restaurants as well. And since you’re in Seoul, consider taking in the big city dining scene! Although I’m not really a foodie, I always look forward to a trip to Seoul to visit my favorite veg restaurants.
Other Notes
Dobongsan is on both mountain lists! It’s on the Korea Forest Service 100 noted mountains list, available here, and the Black Yak 100 mountains list, online here.
Kent and I did a run/hike of just over 10k on Dobongsan in December 2016. We did a short loop taking in the peak and Cheonchuksa temple. This adventure was one of several we had in and around Bukhansan National Park during our brief Christmas-time stay in Korea.
Sinseondae is 740m high. Confusingly, this rock formation is also called Jaunbong – but both names seem to refer to the same place on the mountain. Try as we might, neither of us could find a summit stele. There is, however, a large sign on Sinseondae that labels nearby peaks.
Visit Korea has this short write-up about Dobongsan, which also helpfully includes the details of some hiking options. Do a quick image search to check out the peak in other seasons, too!
Want more of Korea’s marvelous mountains? Head back to the 120 summits main page, or check out other national parks in Korea!