Winter wonderland: Hangyeryeong (한계령)

Snow carpeted the ground and cloaked the trees in white. We climbed up a set of stairs, into a thick white cloud that hung low on the mountain slopes. Everywhere I looked was sparkling. It was beautiful, and for now, it was simple. At least one other person had ascended from Hangyeryeong (한계령) before us, judging by the footsteps in the snow. The staircases had been swept, and snow on the trail between them was hard-packed and stable.

It was the middle of December, and we were climbing our favorite mountain again! This was our seventh adventure in Seoraksan National Park (설악산국립공원) for the year, and like the others that preceded it, this one was completely unique. For starters, we were taking the easy way up! Hangyeryeong is the highest pass in South Korea at an elevation of 920 meters. Only the Osaek trail gets you to the top of Seoraksan faster. We’d once come down this way, but we’d never climbed up – until now!

I’d been a little nervous about heading up so high in wintry weather. We’d recently had several lower altitude adventures which, while tremendously fun, were also super cold! But a snowy summit promised great beauty, so I bundled up to brave it. Hiking up through the frozen forest was not as challenging as I’d expected and more gorgeous than I ever could have imagined.

The excitement factor rose when we reached the ridge. There, we passed what turned out to be two trekkers in front of us and starting cutting a trail through fresh powder. Sometimes it was only ankle deep, but in other areas, the wind had swept the snow into great piles that captured our legs and poles. We were frequently guessing about where the trail even was, but every sight was stunning!

Clearings in the trees presented us with fairy-tale views into the snowy heart of the park. Korean pines rose up tall above the canopy, decked in white: the perfect Christmas trees. A winter wind blew dense, heavy clouds through the park, revealing snowy forests rising and falling over ridges.

We had to keep moving to avoid getting chilled – a very real possibility on this day! Despite my layers of clothes, I was still feeling the cold! (Perhaps now is a good time to tell you about my homemade gaiters: I’d taken an old pair of socks and snipped off the soles, then tied the loose ends to my shoes. Believe it or not, this was working to keep the snow out of my shoes – but I was wiggling my toes with every step, trying to keep them from freezing.) Every few steps, I’d swap both poles into one hand so I could blow into my fist for a shot of warmth. It wasn’t exactly easy, but it was ever more rewarding.

Approaching the peak, the sun suddenly came out! We looked up at a little circle of blue sky above, amazed by the shining crystals of hoarfrost on the tree branches above. I led our way across the sparkling snow towards the summit, which we could see in the distance.

I’d been saving my winter jacket for this moment. Heading up, we’d been protected by the forest. But out here in the open, nearing the top, the icy gales stole the breath from my lungs and rendered my extremities numb and useless. It was the coldest I’ve ever been in Korea. Somehow, we made it to the summit stele, gasping and shivering and completely alone in the elements. The top was beautiful as always, but with a harsher edge. We didn’t stay long, and we sprinted down as fast as our legs would carry us!

Passing Jungcheong Shelter, we raced back into the shelter of the forest. We were heading east now – and into a completely different environment! It was such a stark contrast, like someone drew a line through the park to divide winter from fall. We left the snow behind as we descended into a late autumn forest of beige and brown. There were streaks of snow in shady places, but for the most part, we were walking out of winter. It got warmer as we headed down too.

But it didn’t warm up much. All the waterfalls we passed in Yangpok valley were frozen into thick icicles. Small ponds were frozen solid, and even the river was rimmed by ice. It was another slice of the stark beauty of winter in Seoraksan National Park.

We lingered as long as we could, captivated by the weak wintery light on the rocks and the frozen falls. But the warmth and feast we knew we would find below beckoned us down at last. What a way to celebrate the season!

*This route described above makes a loop consisting of two segments: an ascent up Hangyeryeong & a descent down Yangpok. A stop at Daecheongbong peak is included on the way!

Know and Go! Hangyeryeong pass

Your adventure starts from the western side of Seoraksan National Park. This route is the second most popular choice for hikers on a one-day mission. Although it is longer than Osaek in terms of kilometers, it has significantly less elevation gain as the trailhead is at 920 meters.

I did not take a picture of the park map from here (for a hilarious reason: a worker was sweeping the parking lot, and I was so worried that he would suggest we not climb that I burst out of the bus already running and charged the stairs without looking back. I do listen to park officials, I swear. But I suspected we might just be in for an earful advice and wanted to skip that and get going!). For a Hangyeryeong map, head over to the this page on the Korea National Park Service website (this was our route)!

From Hangyeryeong pass, it’s a 2.3 kilometer climb up onto the ridge. Another 6 kilometers along the ridge brings you to Daecheongbong, the main peak. One way, that’s just 8.3 kilometers of intermediate-level hiking, or a 16.6 kilometer round-trip. But you can also mix things up and head down another way! To descend quickly, choose Osaek by turning right just past the peak. For a longer adventure and more time in this pretty park, go down to the Sokcho side on the Yangpok trail, as we did.

In addition to detailing a popular hiking course, I wanted to describe the joys of hiking Seoraksan National Park in winter. Contrary to popular belief, you can hike in Korea’s winters! Even to the peaks! It’s spring that’s tricky with trail closures, to protect hikers from avalanche dangers.

Head back to the Seoraksan main page to check out other great hikes in this great national park!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your adventures up Hangyeryeong and beyond!