Autumn Hike: Mt. Bukhansan

I’m not ashamed to admit that my hiking experiences was non existent before this one. It was the last day Bukhansan Mountain opened for public before it temporarily closed on November 15-December 15 for fire-prevention and maintenance. It’s located just north of Seoul, so it’s very convenient if you just want to have a day hike close to the city—how hard can it be?—and that’s why I wasn’t taking this hike as seriously as I should’ve.

Bukhansan is a mountain of many peaks. There are several trails that leads to its peaks. In the end, I decided to hike the highest peak, Baegundae Peak. It said to serve the best view of ‘em all. The loop to Baegundae Peak and back is about 8 km. People said they can arrive at the top in just over two hours, so I expected the same for me.

The hike to the top is tough, yet rewarding. There weren’t many options to buy food and drinks when you start the hike. But you can always opt to pack your lunch and eat it along the hike—you’ll get plenty of opportunities to do this. Throughout the hike, you will find a little bit of everything here. At first, you’ll find yourself walking on a slight incline and the route started to get tougher from there. It’ll be best if you have hiking boots but you can get away with a decent pair of sneakers.

In the end, it took me around 6-7 hours to reach the top and go back, almost two times compared the average. Though, it's no wonder as me and my friends took a break in almost every turns. That just showed how out of shape we are. But, in my opinion, just enjoy the hike and savour the scenery slowly.

Whether you’re a pro or just hitting your first trail, Bukhansan is a quintessential that must be checked off the list when you’re in Seoul.