We had a beautiful but mildly alarming start to our Cheonmasan (천마산) adventure. After a wee run through the city, we were quickly at the trailhead. But, by the light of my headlamp, I could see snow falling. In April. It wasn’t sticking to the road, but it coated the trees and the forest floor. I knew we’d be in for an interesting Cheonmasan experience!
But it was beautiful, especially as it got lighter and we could see more of Cheonmasan. We were leaving the first footsteps of the day on the trail! Our route wound up through the forest, gently at first, then up onto a rocky ridge.
I was captivated by a dramatic bench that seemed to sit just under the moody, low-hanging clouds on the summit ridge. Then, the summit itself was exciting! The top of Cheonmasan featured jagged, iced rock and long-distance views.
After a brief stop, we continued along the rugged summit ridge. However, I started to have misgivings about our original traversing plan. My fingers began to ache, snow obscured the thin trail and ice coated the rocks. Things got more and more intense until we made the decision to retrace our footprints and go back the way we’d come up.
So back we went, down Cheonmasan, greeting the next hikers as they ascended the mountain. It was so beautiful, descending along the river, little green shoots and leaves peeping out of the snow! Moving quickly eventually warmed us up, so we were better able to appreciate the scenery. But it also made it feel a little silly to be back in the city so early!
But we focused on enjoying ourselves. The remainder of our run was along a relaxing, small stream at the base of Cheonmasan. When we returned to street level, the rising wind forced us to take shelter inside a cafe, where we feasted and chatted and made a new game plan. Up next: Chungnyeonsan!
KNOW AND GO! CHEONMASAN
TRANSPORTATION
Cheonmasan is conveniently located just outside Seoul, in Namyangju. I’m delighted to remind you that Namyangju is easily accessible on the subway system: just take the aqua (Gyeongchun) line to Pyeongnae-Hopyeong station!
Walk, run, bus or cab to the north side of the city to access multiple trailheads. Cheonmasan is the epiotome of suburban mountain: there are literally dozens of trails, recreation stations and even washrooms on the mountain.
We also took the subway and the bus for this urban adventure!
HIKE & RUN
Cheonmasan is just the beginning. If you want to run or hike really far, head north! There are trails to the east and west as well if you’re looking to extend the adventure.
We, alas, failed to take advantage of this great variety of trails. Our original plan was to run the whole ridge to connect to Chungnyeonsan, fairly far to the northeast. But encountering fresh snow and strong winds that had us nearly freezing on the mountaintop, we opted for a speedy return to the streets below.
STAY & EAT
And therein lies the benefit and danger of these city-side mountains: there’s too many tempting treats below! After our quick Cheonmasan climb, we warmed up with warm drinks after our frosty adventure.
While there are cafes, there’s not so much of my favorite mountain cuisine here. But in Namyangju, there are a lot of other options for eating, from traditional Korean cuisine to fast food chains.
Plus, a wealth of sleeping options are available in Namyangju – and you’re close enough to Seoul to stay in your favorite neighborhood if you so choose.
OTHER NOTES
Cheonmasan is 812 meters tall, and is included on the Korea Forest Service list of 100 summits list: found here.
In April 2018, Kent and I ran a chilly and thrilling 11.5 kilometer out-and-back on Cheonmasan.
More mountains await on the 120 summits main page! You can also explore Chungnyeonsan with us – it was our second mountain of the day following Cheonmasan!
Happy trails on Cheonmasan my friends!