Cheontaesan (천태산)

Cheontaesan (천태산) is a very special mountain, and on it Kent and I marked some special milestones. This was the fifth mountain of our Lunar New Year ‘new mountain’ road trip, and our 50th mountain adventure in South Korea. And what a mountain it was!

In this image, the author is seen from below, climbing to the summit of Cheontaesan and reaching out to touch the summit stele.

We got an early start: parking in a big, empty lot just below Yeongguksa temple. The sun was just rising as we began to climb. Climb we did, straight up on ‘course A’! I’d read about this mountain online, so I fancied myself prepared for what was to come. Technical doesn’t quite do it justice. Treacherous comes close, but might not inspire confidence.

A vertical photograph of a vertical rock wall on the east side of Cheontaesan! There is one rope strung between trees on the left, and another rope dangling against the stone on the right.
No visual effects here! Just a sheer rock wall plus ropes!

Trail signs indicate a mere two kilometers to the summit. But this short distance is anything but easy! It’s a tough route up a steep and exposed ridge. In no time, we reached the first – of many – ropes courses.

A photograph of an old metal sign affixed to a rock. It depicts a hiker, with an arrow pointing to the side. Someone has written the word 'you' beneath the hiker.
This helpful trail sign made me laugh.

This first vertical wall was exciting but wound up seeming tame in comparison to what was in store later.

An action shot of Kent, climbing upwards in a narrow crevice. He's using three points of contact: one hand is on the rock to the left and he's leaning on a trekking pole to the right as he steps carefullly up on the bare, slick rock. The temple grounds are visible in the valley below.
Scramble upon scramble!

As we made our way up the mountainside, we were given ample opportunity to meditate on the season we’d chosen for this tough climb. In the forest, the snow was patchy. On the exposed rock, it had been melted by the sun and frozen into ice by bitter winds.

In this image, the usual rope has been replaced by a metal chain, affixed to a metal pole. The rope dangles over the edge of a boulder, disappearing into the drop below. There's a thin coating of ice and snow on the boulders below. Far below, the valley is misty and full of evergreen trees.

We stopped to put our micro-spikes on. On the next few climbs, we slowed to a literal crawl. We had to haul ourselves upward hand-over-hand on the ropes, while struggling for footing on the iced-over boulders. It was really gnarly: equal parts scary and fun.

A vertical snapshot of more of the slick, vertical rock that characterizes Cheontaesan. A few gnarled Korean pines grow incongruously from the rock.
Nonstop climbs!

Several scrambles later, we reached a pretty summit decorated with rock towers and a big stele. We were alone in the wan sunlight of this winter’s morning, so we climbed all over the peak and lingered there.

A portrait of the author, sitting on the boulder at the very top of Cheontaesan. The stone summit stele is behind her, as is an old metal version with peeling blue paint.

There were more trails to explore from the top. One sign pointed off in the direction of another mountain, but we were satisfied with exploring a new route down. We picked the longest descent via ‘course D’.

A portrait of Kent, standing on a thin trail leading along a narrow ledge of stone. He's got his trekking poles wide to either side and is positively grinning.
Believe it or not, Kent is on the trail!

Our new route also proved very exciting! There was some excellent knife’s edge ridge running with great views before we truly began to go down. Near the bottom, the trail changed character yet again, presenting us with a deep, sandy gully. Cheontaesan is full of surprises!

A vertical selfie taken by the author and also featuring husband Kent. The pair are seated on a steep mountain slope, with Kent's knees tucked up behind Carrie's back. It almost appears as though they are tobogganing!
Taking a break to take it all in

Back at the foot of the mountain, we did a brief but pleasant temple viewing. Then we ran on to sneak in a little climb of a big bonus rock topped by a stone pagoda! The gnarly nature of Cheontaesan continued, even here. Even the trail to the parking lot was slippery!

A snapshot of a section of trail on Cheontaesan. This stretch is a sandy hollow, carved out between two grassy banks - completely different from the rocky routes up top!
Same mountain, various trail types!
A group of tiny young Buddha statues are clustered around the base of a gnarled old ginko tree. Some of them appear to be looking towards the open door of the main temple building beyond.
A peek at the temple
The author in her best imitation of an eagle, swooping down from the high slopes of Cheontaesan above.

KNOW AND GO! CHEONTAESAN

TRANSPORTATION

This one is for Daejeon friends: this mountain is just south of your city, go check it out!

Okay, it’s a little far from Daejeon: requiring a 2.5 hour journey and both a train and a bus. If you’re coming from afar, book your ticket to Yeongdong station rather than Daejeon (there’s also an intercity bus terminal here, if that works better for you). From Yeongdong, Cheontaesan’s main entrance near Nogyo village is (unfortunately, still) an hour’s journey away on bus 123.

Alternatively, you can access one of two trails on the western side of the mountain in Sinan village. To get here, you’ll first need to get to Geumsan. Geumsan is an hour-long bus ride away from Daejeon, and from Geumsan you can connect to local bus 210, adding 40 minutes to your journey.

Cheontaesan might not be easy to reach, but that’s part of the charm. On the right day, in the right season, you might be alone on the mountain! But, to be fair, this is definitely easier to achieve if you have your own wheels! Full disclosure: we were on a multi-mountain mission and had rented a car, and I’m really glad we did so in this case!

HIKE & RUN

The trails on Cheontaesan are crazy and not be be underestimated! Just because they’re all short does not mean that this is an easy peak. In fact, it most definitely is not. Come prepared to climb!

Have a look at Naver maps. Zoom in. See all those ropes? Yeah. If a dozen ropes courses aren’t enough challenge for you, go in late winter for the added difficulties of ice and cold. I kid, of course: please be safe out there!

A photograph of a massive trail map at the main entrance to Cheontaesan. The mountain is in green, towering above the valley, and marked with thin, colored lines denoting the trails.
Or take a look at this, on-site map! An epic scale for an epic mountain!

Once again, what makes this mountain unique is what makes it incredible. I love Cheontaesan’s big climbs and had a positively thrilling experience on the mountain! I’d highly recommend the approach from the east for a high level of excitement. I didn’t personally explore either of the two trails to the west though, so I can’t comment on their enjoyability.

I’m not sure if it’s long closed or unofficial, but a sign at the top of Cheontaesan indicates a trail to Daeseongsan, due north. This trail is not on any mapping apps, so proceed at your own risk.

STAY & EAT

If you’re not from Daejeon or want to make the (reasonable) case that Cheontaesan is still pretty far away, you can stay right in Nogyo village. However, there are only a few minbaks, so book ahead, come off-season or make a plan b. There’s also several food options in the village!

Another option is to stay further afield in either Geumsan or Yeongdong (see transportation section, above). I’d recommend Yeongdong for a couple of reasons: it’s on the exciting east side of the mountain, and it’s got both train and bus connections to the rest of the country. We stayed, ate and resupplied in Yeongdong, so I can personally vouch for the town!

OTHER NOTES

At 714 meters, Cheontaesan is not tremendously tall, but it is incredibly steep and possessing a prominence that dominates the local landscape. And it’s not just locals taking note – Cheontaesan appears on both of Korea’s 100 famous summits lists. The Korea Forest Service listing can be found here and the Black Yak listing is over here.

In February 2018, Kent and I did a run-turned-hike that was so steep and slippery we may as well just call it a scramble. This Cheontaesan climb was part of our Lunar New Year ‘new mountains’ expedition during which we also explored (the other) Gayasan, Gwanaksan, Gwangdeoksan, Oseosan and Yongbongsan.

A vertical photograph of an extremely narrow ridge of slickrock. No, this is not a photo op stop - this is just part of the trail on Cheontaesan!
Trails like these make the Cheontaesan experience

Don’t stop now – you’re on a roll! Back to the 120 summits main page?

Have a blast on Cheontaesan: it’s an exciting one!


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