Our 100th peak! And what a stunner of a mountain (and day!) we got for this momentous occasion. Hwangjangsan is a tall mountain in the far southwestern corner of Woraksan National Park (월악산국립공원). It’s a true beauty, and was the perfect choice to celebrate the mountains of Korea!
Hwangjangsan (황장산) was a spontaneous adventure involving a lot of driving and only a little running – not to mention a frantic car rental experience, dodging rainy weather and arranging our whole weekend around our (also last-minute) involvement in a hometown race (check out my Wild Trail Inje race report for context). But it was worth it!
The aforementioned race commitment required us to rent a car…again! But, Kent had managed to get our wheels from a hometown agent for the first time ever. This meant that we had both a car and a morning free of plans…so you can probably guess happened next! I quickly popped out the master mountain list to plan an outing.
Actually, I already knew just what I was looking for. I remembered Hwangjangsan as that mountain we’d missed on a multi-mountain outing in June when timing was tight. It was the closest summit to us now that we’d summited all the notable peaks in both Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces! Going to Hwangjangsan in Gyeongsangbuk-do would involve a 2.5 hour drive in either direction, and we would have to go early: we were due at Wild Trail staff training at noon!
I have one amazing husband, because he actually agreed to this crazy plan. We picked up and packed the car the night before, set the alarm for just before 3 a.m. and went to bed. When we set off, it was into a rain storm!
Despite having to fill the car up with gas (and Kent up with coffee!) near Hongcheon, we were very efficient with our time. We zipped along the highway, hoping the rain that was pouring down steadily might stop, or at least lighten, by the time we reached our mountain.
We were in luck: the sky slowly brightened as we drove. In the final winding kilometers leading to the base of the mountain, the rain disappeared: leaving behind cottony clouds caught in the treetops. It was beautiful, and we couldn’t believe our good fortune – the drive and the weather had worked out perfectly, somehow!
But just barely: the damp, low clouds kept threatening rain, and we parked only a couple of minutes ahead of schedule. So we laced up our shoes and popped on our vests, and started to run! At first, we were on a narrow paved road between Omija berry farms, surprising the elderly farmers!
Eventually, the road turned into a trail. And not just any trail, a national park trail! Hwangjangsan occupies a remote corner of Woraksan National Park – making this our 4th visit to the park (and our 3rd Woraksan summit of the year)! So this trail was well-marked with signposts every 500 meters or so, and began with a nice map of our loop course.
The trail itself was slightly gnarlier than your average national park trail: a little overgrown and ascending rapidly upwards over a tangle of slick boulders. But it was beautiful, and the forest wrapped around me like a warm hug.
The previous night, I had prepared a little sign to commemorate the occasion, and it was hiding in my backpack. But I could hide none of my enthusiasm, and was bouncing along the trail, taking even more photos and videos than usual. I still can’t believe I managed to pull off a surprise, because I was probably tremendously obvious in all my exuberance. Somehow Kent remained unaware that this peak was a milestone!
It was a quick climb up to the celebratory peak, just a couple of kilometers. We were soon on the ridge, where a cool, wet wind made my skin tingle. There was a semi-porous barrier ‘preventing’ people from heading off down the Baekdudaegan trail. That was to the right. We played by the rules and turned left!
Kent had been concerned about visibility on such a cloudy day, but I was hopeful. Sure, we couldn’t see the valley below, but it was even more magical to glimpse rocky outcrops and gnarled trees appearing through the mist!
Hwangjangsan has a lovely, large summit stele and is surrounded by a large open area with several benches. When we arrived, I hung up my vest on a helpful tree and then I got to reveal the surprise! It was really, really fun, and we spent several playful minutes enjoying the summit. There were colorful ribbons everywhere, and the peak was cozy with the trees and the mist.
It was incredibly hard to leave, actually: I felt on top of the world! But time constraints dictated that we must, and eventually we did. Fortunately, the fun was not over yet! We got to run along an amazing section of the Baekdudaegan before descending! And it was such a moody, atmospheric, perfect day for it.
For a little while, the trail was runnable dirt single-track, weaving through the few trees topping the ridge. Then suddenly, we emerged from the forest onto a rocky mountain spine. Right then, the clouds parted just enough to give us some spectacular views. Over the rippling green landscape that is classically Korean, clouds of mist were rising up from the valleys to meet the heavy clouds overhead. A truly gorgeous scene!
And a dramatic trail from which to experience it! Some catwalks and stairs connected the steepest and rockiest sections. I was so thrilled by it all that I couldn’t put down the camera. I wanted to photograph everything, wishing I could somehow capture the very feeling of this magical moment in time.
My focus may have been in the wrong place, because I slipped and fell. Hard, skidding across the inclined rocks. I saved myself sliding off the mountain by the knuckles of my right hand.
Running with my right hand in the air stopped either the blood flow or my anxiety about it. As we continued our downward dash, we were extra careful of our footing in sticky mud and on slippery rocks.
The pretty part was over far too fast. In no time at all, we were back on pavement, where a huge tour group was gathered before their ascent. Once again, we’d managed some excellent timing: we’d had the whole mountain to ourselves until this point!
We sprinted down the road to our car, closing the loop in just under 5 kilometers and a little over an hour. Despite my bloody fingers and our urgent need to speed back towards Inje, I was in such a merry mood. As we drove back, listening to our favorite songs, the sky opened up and rained down on Korea once more.
We chose new roads and caught glimpses of previously unseen spots in our count, ultimately making it to the race site nearly 40 minutes early. Any worries we’d had about our volunteering duties seemed small after our morning adventure. I continued to feel accomplished and buoyant all day long.
So, Hwangjangsan marked 100 famous Korean summits climbed, with 55 in 2018 alone! Not quite 120 – not yet – but it was a special achievement, and I’m both incredibly proud of, and grateful for it.
Know and Go! Hwangjangsan
Transportation
Hwangjangsan is actually directly across a valley from Doraksan, another one of Woraksan National Park‘s pretty peaks that we visited earlier in the year. However, the two are not connected by road or trail.
Also, public bus options are not encouraging. Yeongju seems close but isn’t directly connected. Danyang may have a few local buses that stop within a few kilometers of the trailhead, but these seem to be infrequent and/or possibly no longer running.
Actually, Mungyeong to the south might have the most direct connections – there’s a bus stop right near the trailhead served a few Mungyeong-bound buses. But you’d be looking at many more hours of bus riding than hiking, and since there are no nearby peaks to play with…I know it’s a bit of a hard sell.
As a result, I’d highly recommend using a car if you’re doing some peak-bagging in the area! Combine Hwangjangsan with a visit to it’s Woraksan neighbors – or its neighbors in Sobaeksan or Mungyeong Saejae!
Hike & Run
This is a neat little loop that makes for a quick and easy outing. At a hike, I’d wager it would take you a half-day: maybe a nice way to spend a morning! At a run, it took us slightly upwards of an hour (of moving time).
You can also see this loop on Naver Maps – just make sure you’re zooming in on the correct mountain! There’s a peak just north of Hwangjangsan called Hwangjeongsan, so watch out for that!
My other recommendation here is to go counter-clockwise. I think this makes for the most dramatic views: you climb up in a forest, and descend on a high, open ridge. It’s a real treat to be savored, which I think makes it better for heading down. Just make sure you also keep an eye on your footing!
Stay & Eat
We didn’t! As mentioned above, we came here on a quick little early-morning mission. There didn’t seem to be any Korean-style accommodations in the valley, although I’m sure there are rooms to be had somewhere in the vicinity. However, basing yourself in the boonies might require you to have the use of a car anyways, so staying nearby isn’t strictly necessary.
We also had no time for feasting, which was just as well as there didn’t seem to be any options. There was a cafe (closed when we were there) and signs for a wine cave (no idea). We were amply provisioned for our mini excursion, and that’s about all I know. I’d recommend the same for you. too!
Other Notes
Hwangjangsan is on the Korea Forest Service list of 100 noted mountains, found online here.
Hwangjangsan was our 100th mountain, which we celebrated in September 2018 with a fast 5k jaunt.
Hwangjangsan’s 1077 meter peak is cozy, but there are excellent views to be had from the summit ridge to the north.
Return to the Woraksan main page to explore more of this mountain’s remote, scenic peaks.
More of Korea’s marvelous mountains await! Head back to the 120 summits main page, or continue exploring national parks!