Korea is the ideal country for people who love hiking. It has a lot of national parks with excellent and adventurous trails. But Koreans are avid hikers and we got quite intimidated by them.
The first time we went for a hike, was in the mountains around Seoul. Only 30 minutes by metro from the heart of the city, you'll find great hiking opportunities and stunning landscapes. Already on the subway, we were joined by a dozen of scary looking Koreans. But once we arrived at the entrance of the park, there were hundreds of them...And every single one looked like he (or she) was ready to conquer the Everest. Dressed, from head to toe, in the most expensive outdoor gear, walking poles in hand, gloves, jackets, rain pants, impressive backpacks and some of them were even wearing face masks (to protect them from the sun?). I wasn't really envying them, by 28 degrees:-) But my Converse shoes got me a little worried, I'll admit.
Anyway, we had come to hike, so we hiked. It was tough and we had some difficulties finding the right tracks, with everything indicated in Korean, but it was worth it! We didn't expect to find so many temples so high up in the mountains. Also the views on Seoul were quite spectacular!
Next day, we decided to rent bicycles in Seoul and again, similar scenario. Koreans are riding brand new 3000euro mountain bikes on the flattest cycling routes you'll ever find. Equipped with the fanciest cycling outfits of course!
The last 5 pictures are taken in Seoroksan National Park, our destination after Seoul. It is one of Korea's biggest national parks, on the east coast of the country. We only stayed one day but could have hiked longer because it's very beautiful and peaceful.
The first time we went for a hike, was in the mountains around Seoul. Only 30 minutes by metro from the heart of the city, you'll find great hiking opportunities and stunning landscapes. Already on the subway, we were joined by a dozen of scary looking Koreans. But once we arrived at the entrance of the park, there were hundreds of them...And every single one looked like he (or she) was ready to conquer the Everest. Dressed, from head to toe, in the most expensive outdoor gear, walking poles in hand, gloves, jackets, rain pants, impressive backpacks and some of them were even wearing face masks (to protect them from the sun?). I wasn't really envying them, by 28 degrees:-) But my Converse shoes got me a little worried, I'll admit.
Anyway, we had come to hike, so we hiked. It was tough and we had some difficulties finding the right tracks, with everything indicated in Korean, but it was worth it! We didn't expect to find so many temples so high up in the mountains. Also the views on Seoul were quite spectacular!
Next day, we decided to rent bicycles in Seoul and again, similar scenario. Koreans are riding brand new 3000euro mountain bikes on the flattest cycling routes you'll ever find. Equipped with the fanciest cycling outfits of course!
The last 5 pictures are taken in Seoroksan National Park, our destination after Seoul. It is one of Korea's biggest national parks, on the east coast of the country. We only stayed one day but could have hiked longer because it's very beautiful and peaceful.
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