Joryeongsan (조령산)

We chose our Joryeongsan (조령산) route based on nostalgia, I readily admit it. I was eager to revisit Mungyeong Saegjae Provincial Park (문경새재도립공원): one of my favorites from our original mountain mission year in 2016! And this trek would quickly confirm my favoritism.

So for our new mountain mission in 2018, we retraced our steps. We started our adventure by running the ancient road through the three historic gates. This was about 7 kilometers of totally runnable road, albeit increasingly uphill! It was also beautiful; every bit as wonderful as I remembered.

It was also awesome to be there before all the people this time, listening to the dawn chorus as the forest woke up, and seeing the first rays of sunlight paint the rocky mountain tops gold. But after (some lingering at) the third gate, we left the wide, civilized road behind and immediately entered a new world!

There were a few steps, and even some signs pointing the way to Joryeongsan…but no information about distance. Someone had drawn in a time estimate of 5 hours on one sign. Our research indicated the route was about 5k long, so it seemed as though we were in for some slow going on very challenging terrain!

The first thing we did was climb up Gitdaebong – a peak slightly off the trail to the north. It was a steep climb, but we were just getting started on a day full of them!

From this summit, we had leafy views out at the wicked dragon’s spine we were about to explore. It was so jagged and dramatic that it was hard to believe that was our route! But indeed it was.

As we began to venture forth towards Joryeongsan, we found that the trail was surprisingly good. It appeared well-trodden, and there were occasional flags and emergency beacons along the way.

It was also extremely varied. Sometimes the trail was deep in forest beside the ridge. At other times, we would suddenly emerge onto the rocky surface of the ridge, with dazzling views around  and dizzying drops below us. It was thrilling!

My heart was pounding, even though the terrain demanded that we go slowly. Short runnable stretches were broken up by rocky scrambles and ropes courses that challenged my upper body strength and bravery. I was tested more on this mountain than I’d ever been before. Tough going, to be sure, but the ropes were solid and high quality. There was always one in place on dangerous sections.

The knowledge that the only way to go was forward was a little heady, as was the fact that I had no choice but to trust the ropes and my arms and dangle myself down cliffs that made my mouth dry and my knees wobble. But it was SO very worth it. The views over the park from the plunging drop-off across the sea of sharp Baekdudaegan peaks were oustanding.

This might have been the most gorgeous hike of my life! It was as thrilling as Seoraksan’s Dinosaur Ridge. Ropes course after ropes course! Sometimes the ropes seemed so tricky over such vertical drops that we opted for rocky semi-seated scrambles, leveraging our bodies in all kinds of ways. There were several summits, many unnamed.

One long, exposed ropes course demanded nearly everything I had. For a moment afterwards, I thought I might not be able to handle any more crazy ropes courses, but I was soon eating my words. There was an incredibly slippery section of loose dirt the consistency of flour. We ran/fell down this part and then were actually grateful for the ropes that started to line our way, although our hands were in rough shape by this point!

From a clearing, we saw possibly the most welcome sight I’ve ever seen: stairs! We were so grateful for this simple, hands-free ascent that finally offered a us chance to eat and drink!

The stairs marked our return to civilization. Shortly after, at Sinseonambong, we ran into our first fellow hikers. It was somewhat reassuring to talk to an experienced older hiker and learn that he was going in the reverse direction.

But we were also really, really glad that we’d had the whole ridge to ourselves until then. Not just for the peace and serenity (although that is my fave!) but also because I’m not entirely sure what we would have done on all the long rope dangles and rocky scrambles if there were other people involved. Especially if they were coming the other way!

We lingered on a rock shortly beyond this peak appreciating our incredible day. There were just a few more ropes and stairs, and then we were finally at Joryeongsan.

As we approached, the trail became busier and busier. And the summit was positively crowded! There were 50 people, or maybe more! Some were departing the way we’d come, and others were arriving the way we were planning to leave.

But most were lingering in a disorderly queue to take a photo with the Joryeongsan summit stele. We were among the latter. It was hard not to be able to do our usual array of photos and rituals of gratitude. But I snuck in for a quick photo and to touch the stele, so that’s better than nothing.

We entertained the idea of waiting until it cleared out, but with a constant stream of people walking through, there didn’t seem to be any chance of that actually happening. So we bid Joryeongsan goodbye, and sped down the other way.

The maps online and onsite had promised a route downhill that would allow us to make a loop, but this trail was nowhere in sight. Now running quickly for the first time, we must have missed it. So we carried on until we realized we were heading for Iwaryeong (site of some misadventures on our cross-country cycling trip in 2012).

But there wasn’t really anything we could do about it. We didn’t want to turn around and join the stampede of hiking clubs – and retracing our steps all the way back was out of the question. So we ran down in the hopes of figuring something out when we got there. It caused a lot of tension, but for my part, I was actually excited to see the pass again!

And soon, we did. But we didn’t linger. A huge orange tour bus was pulling out of a largely empty lot, and we begged for a ride back down to the provincial park. The driver agreed, and soon we were on a noraebus, being offered shots of soju by silver hikers as the bus switchbacked down the steep road we’d once biked down.

They were turning around to go elsewhere, so they dropped as at the gate, and we did a 2 or 3 kilometer road run back to the car to complete this adventure. But we were far from done with the day! We had another epic climb ahead of us on Huiyangsan! After this truly tremendous day on the trails, we grabbed some bibimbap and a blissfully cool sweet treat at Starbucks (how I love Mungyeong!).

Know and Go! Joryeongsan

Transportation

Luckily, getting to Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park is simple. Although the park lies at the heart of the peninsula, it’s well-served by buses from all over Korea. So you can easily get plan your Joryeongsan adventure on public transit!

One of the hiking options described below requires a vehicle, but is not recommended.

Hike & Run

If you haven’t been to the park before, I’d highly recommend following a similar route. Start your day by enjoying the historical sites and gentle climb of the road at the heart of the park. (If it sounds to ambitious to do this and climb Joryeongsan in a day, consider spending two?)

I particularly liked heading south to Joryeongsan. It’s really rewarding to spend a day on a high ridge, overcoming challenges and being rewarded by beautiful views. Waiting to hit the highest summit until the end is suspenseful and fun. But be aware: this route has a lot of highly technical trail and is not for novices. The ridge has a deceptively short length, but due to its high degree of difficulty, it will likely take you a full day.

And don’t forget about Juhuelsan, another famous summit in this provincial park!

Many hikers, with the benefit of cars and tour buses, simply drive up to Iwaryeong: a high pass on an old highway. The trail from this side is relatively short and straight-forward. (If you get to the peak after a day of hiking alone and find it packed, this is why). Honestly, although I like Iwaryeong a lot, I don’t recommend this route. I think the ridge north of Joryeongsan is what makes this mountain special – and you really should experience it.

Stay & Eat

…in Mungyeong Saejae, of course! The provincial park to which Joryeongsan belongs is a splendid one. You can camp in the summer, meet other hikers in Korean-style accommodations or splurge on a resort. There are also motels to be had just outside the park and in Mungyeong city nearby.

As has been described elsewhere, Mungyeong Saejae has especially great food. Their fresh mountain veggies and sweet omija drinks come highly recommended.

Other Notes

Joryeongsan is on the Black Yak 100 summits list, online here.

Kent and I climbed Joryeongsan on a long run in June 2018. We did an approximately 18 kilometer point-to-point run/scramble. On Huiyangsan, later the same day, we found another extremely rocky mountain featuring exciting rope climbs!

Head back to the Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park main page for more fun in my favorite place! Or, explore more of Korea’s 100 summits here. Other provincial parks can be found here.