For this adventure, we were headed back to a Baegunsan! Baegunsan mountains dot the Korean landscape, and we’ve been to several of them. This one, in the wilds of Gangwon province, is Baegunsan (Donggang) – (백운산(동강))!
Before we explore, let’s take a moment to celebrate all the ‘white clouds’ mountains! Baegunsan (Gwangyang) dominates the Jeollanamdo skyline. In 2016, long before we were on our 100 summits mission, we had to visit for that reason alone! Then there’s Baegunsan (Pocheon) – an interesting mix of history, military and views over Gyeonggido.
Baegunsan (Donggang) was also memorable – but for kinda funny reasons. The day before we climbed this mountain in 2018, we ran the High1 Sky Marathon! The race course led us up and over another Baegunsan, which initially I thought was the one! But as it turned out, it was the one for our race – but not the one from our list! Good thing I checked: a bonus adventure was in store!
Unfortunately, we had a bit of a crummy night after the race: we chose a subpar motel and were unable to sleep. On the plus side, this made it easy to get up and get outta there! Long before dawn, we drove in the dark to a remote trailhead on a narrow road reminiscent of a bike path, tucked away deep in a hidden valley. But at the end of the road, a parking lot and a map proved we were indeed in the right place!
We quickly left the silent, sleeping village behind. Climbing by headlamp, we moved slowly up the steep slopes of this mountain. The forest had lots of big, old trees, and the green leafy canopy was complete.
This mountain, finally, was so remote that there were no sounds of traffic from its slopes. Just the dawn chorus from some of Gangwondo’s songbirds! It felt great to be moving my muscles after the race, but it was very slow going for me. Still, I was happy to be in motion and outside and meeting a new Baegunsan!
Regrettably, we would not have enough time to take in all the river scenery this mountain is famous for (and distinguishes it from other Baegunsans!). This Baegunsan boasts a long ridge with terrific views over the curvaceous Donggang river below. We’d hoped to catch a good glimpse or two from the summit, but it was one of those cozy ones, so we barely sneaked a peek.
It was a bit of a bummer, because I never just want to tag a peak and have the day be done. I like to be fully present and appreciate the unique beauty of each mountain. But today, squeezing in our Baegunsan (Donggang) summit outing before returning our rental car and racing to work had to be sufficient.
Sufficient, photogenic and tranquil, the summit stele was a smallish one, surrounded by two tall stone cairns. Despite the cool breeze, there was a warm feeling in the forest.
After a few minutes spent peaking and peeking, we had to head straight back down the way we came. But the sun was finally up, offering us a totally different experience. We met one single soul just starting the climb up. Our Baegunsan (Donggang) experience was quiet and peaceful. We wished we could linger by the Donggang river!
KNOW AND GO! BAEGUNSAN (DONGGANG)
TRANSPORTATION
Baegunsan (Donggang) is pretty remote. It’s roughly between Jeongseon and Yeongwol in southern Gangwondo. Most folks start hiking from the hamlet of Jeomjae. Public transportation options are few and far between in this rural area. Consider joining a hiking tour or renting a car.
Other trailheads are similarly underserved by public transit and might require your own wheels, good language skills and/or some ingenuity to get to!
HIKE & RUN
You should definitely take the time to hike the ridge and get the famous Donggang views. It’s not called Baegunsan (Donggang) for nothing!
Alas, despite our early start, we were on a tight schedule. We did a short out-and-back to the main peak. But there are five more along a cliff’s edge ridge just waiting for you to explore them (and report back, please)!
STAY & EAT
Kent and I were pretty pooped post-race and chose our motel poorly. Still, there aren’t exactly an overwhelming of options in this general area of the country. There are a few potentially great pensions and minbaks near the river, but those will need to be booked in advance – and in Korean. Alternatively, you could stay in Jeongseon or Yeongwol before your hike. Or simply come for a day trip, because the trails aren’t outrageously long.
Similarly, this area is something of a food desert. It didn’t seem to have any of the usual mountain fare that’s often available at the foot of Korean mountains. We had car snacks – maybe you should too! But bear in mind that we arrived before light and left in a bit of a hurry: perhaps there are options around if you take the time to explore them.
OTHER NOTES
At 882 meters, Baegunsan towers above the Donggang river valleys. The mountain is on both 100 famous summits lists. It’s on the Korea Forest Service list, available here, and the Black Yak list, online here.
We visited Baegunsan (Donggang) in June 2018. We ran/hiked 5 kilometers as active recovery following our race.
Searching for information about this mountain can be confusing, thanks to its many twins across the peninsula. Remember, even if you’re in Gangwondo, you might not be at the right Baegunsan! Baegunsan (Donggang) gets a mention in this Visit Korea article about the Donggang river area.
Want more of Korea’s marvelous mountains? Head back to the 120 summits main page!