This hike took me from Dokbawi Station (독바위역), past Seollimsa Temple (선림사), up to Balbadakbawi rock (발바닥바위), east to Hyangnobong peak (향로봉), then east and south to Geumseonsa Temple (금선사)
I first discovered Balbadakbawi rock a few weeks earlier and wanted to return because I thought it looked pretty epic. It seems like a bit of a hidden gem being so close to town. It reminded a little of one of those Star Trek planets where Kirk fights aliens. I also wanted to revisit Geumseonsa Temple; it has nice hilly paths and bridges with a stream running through, plus a really neat grotto that you can access from above then descend into and out of the front.
The air that day was clear so the views were nice. I needed to walk quite a way through residential areas and a park before the trails really start. Once up to Balbadak rock, you can see back into town and the Eunpyeong Hanok Village. You can also look across the valley to some wide uninterrupted views of the Eunbong ridge and the valley below. The top of Balbadakbawi is covered in small sandy stones with is quite odd; no idea where they come from. It can get a bit slippy because of that, so take care if you venture towards the sides. There are a few trees at the top including a small windswept pine that looks like it might blow away in the next big storm. People have placed rocks around it to help it cling on. How trees grow on this landscape confounds me!
Heading up, you get to a ridge which peaks at a place where you can see Hyangnobong. You go down here to an intersection the straight up some gnarly rocks to get to Hyangnobong peak. I stopped for my lunch there and photographed Bibong in the distance. You could clearly see the monument on top today.
Next I hiked east towards Bibong; before Bibong, I turned right and down. At some point by a stream crossing, you need to go left along the stream to get to Geumseonsa. If you go across then you’ll miss the temple entirely. The temple is well maintained and has a temple stay program if you’re interested. I spent quite a while exploring and followed a path to the top of the grounds across a bridge to a small cave with a shrine inside. There were chairs to sit at, too and this would make a great spot for a relaxing with a book and coffee!
To get to the grotto, I headed back the down to towards the entrance and past the sleeping temple dog (enjoying the last of the autumn sun). The grotto is down some steps to your right. Head into the rocks down some steep steps and then you come behind a shrine area. You can walk straight through to the front (taking care not to walk on the place where people kneel and pray) then out the front door. It might not always be open and I don’t know if it’s ever locked. You keep going down more steps outside; make sure you look back to view the grotto enatrance from below, and the temple buildings above it.
On the way out of the temple grounds were some last bits of bright autumn colour. I then walked into Gugi-dong area, grabbed a coffee then took a bus home.
독바위역, 선림사, 발바닥바위, 향로봉, 금선사