A mist filled the valley and kept us cool as we climbed up past the 12 fairy pools. Reaching the ridge just after first light, we found it was already lush and hot. Now, we could look down into green valleys filled with thick grey clouds. Pink blooms decorated the bushes. Rock features erupted from lush foliage, sculpted by the forces of nature into jagged and fanciful shapes. We were on Namgyori (남교리) – my favorite ridge, and one of the best kept secrets of Seoraksan National Park (설악산국립공원)!
During our 2016 mountain mission year, we discovered the original Seoraksan ridge beginning in Namgyori. I fell in love with its length, the fabulous views you enjoy all along the ridge, the solitude of this long trail and so much more. The Namgyori start feels like the secret entrance to a hidden paradise. After impatiently waiting in our home beside the mountain all spring, when the park was finally open again in May 2017, we returned to this beloved ridge.
In the year since we’d been here, our focus had shifted from hiking Korea’s mountains to running them. With that in mind, we aimed to run as much of this ridge as we could. Even on the long ascent, we bounded up stairs and pushed each other to be speedy. On the ridge, stunning scenery all around us competed with our need for speed. But we know how to balance making progress and enjoying the view along the way. This is what we do; this is what we love.
Our dear Gwittaegicheongbong, the highest point along this ridge, was lovely as always. From a distance, it’s a rounded rise. Up close, it’s a tough scramble over stones and boulders of every size. We jumped from boulder to boulder, following a trail of tall metal poles.
This spring day was magical for many reasons, not least that all of the baby bugs were hatching all at once! We walked through several dense clouds of these new insects, holding our breath and waving our arms wildly. If you look closely, you can spot the bugs in several of our photos from this outing! We laughed over accidentally eating some of them, but I felt like the bugs were one embodiment of spring. Like all the new leaves and little wings were celebrating the season with us.
We passed the turn-off to Hangyeryeong and entered new territory! This rolling, runnable area between the pass and the peak quickly became a favorite of mine! We climbed up rocky outcrops for gorgeous views, and swept down again into the forest under a dense canopy of trees. It wasn’t long before we spotted the giant, man-made spheres that characterize Jungcheongbong, Daecheongbong’s inaccessible neighboring peak.
After a quick water resupply at 1 Daecheongbong-ro (Jungcheong shelter), we climbed up to the truly stunning Daecheongbong peak. This is one of our favorite places on Earth. Every time I’m here I look down to the sea and out across the ridges that hide our home and have a profound sense of how lucky I am. Whenever I’m not standing in this spot, I’m wishing I was.
We did a quick descent at Osaek after an amazing time spent all alone with our peak. We bounded down the stairs, full of renewed energy from our summit stop. The sunlight shone through the forest in little beams that made little pools of warm light on the path. There were other hikers, but it wasn’t busy. It was quiet enough that we could run along and listen to the singing of birds in the treetops. The trailhead appeared too quickly, but we promised ourselves that we’d be back – and often!
*This route described above makes a loop consisting of two segments: an ascent and traverse along the Namgyori ridge & a descent down Osaek.
Know and Go! Namgyori Ridge
It is not easy to get here via public transportation, but it can be done. You can take a bus here from Dong Seoul terminal, but you may have to convince the vendors that it is indeed what you want. Your bus will simply pull over at the side of the road and deposit you there. When I visited from Seoul in 2016, there were just two buses a day that would make that highway-side stop. There are other options for getting here, including taking a bus directly to Sokcho or Wontong and then taking a taxi to this entrance.
But please don’t write this entrance off due to difficulty of access – it is the original trekking route through Seoraksan, and it’s stunning. Well-worth your efforts, I promise!
From this entrance, the trail-head is obvious and the trail is straight-forward. There’s a couple of restaurants for your fueling needs. Behind them, the trail leads away into the forest. There are no forks or branches, you simply follow it up past the fairy pools and onto the ridge. This is a beautiful area to linger in, and many people simply hike up to the pools and then hike back down. But if you’re bound for the ridge, follow the 8 kilometer long trail up!
From the ridge, there are two options for descent prior to the peak at Daeseungryeong and Hangyeryeong. But be aware that these are quite far apart (and the peak still further), so assess your abilities and supplies wisely before choosing your route. Ten kilometers separate the two passes. The length of the ridge is just over 13 kilometers. With constant rises and falls over sometimes treacherous terrain, it’s slow going to the peak. Coming from Namgyori, you’ll traverse around 22 kilometers to reach Daecheongbong.
Also, be aware that there is no water or shelter along this ridge, so you’ll need to be self-sufficient. But if you’re prepared for it, this is going to be one of the best hikes of your life!
Head back to the Seoraksan main page to check out other great hikes in this great national park!
Thanks for reading, and enjoy your adventure on the Namgyori ridge and beyond!