Day 3 of 4-day trip to Jeju

This was a long, hard hike up the east side of Hallasan, the tallest mountain in South Korea. This was the first time I’ve been up Hallasan (I go up again in 2019 on my own).

On this hike, the weather changed a lot but was mostly cloudy and humid. There was fog and/or clouds in the crater at the top so no view of the famous crater lake, or views to the sea :o( The winds at the top were epic so that made our well needed rest not very comfortable!

Going up, Romana and I walked through miles of black stoned trails, and greenery, all made beautiful with a slight dampness that really made the colours contrast nicely. When we broke the tree line, it was mainly heather covered hilly plains.

We went back the same way. We rested at some point on a wooden platform and closed our eyes. Once settled, the forest around us came alive, with noisier birds and animals rustling in the bushes. I spotted a deer that had obviously decided the noisy humans had departed and started exploring again. A very nice rest stop.

It took us about nine hours overall, and we were shattered and the end. I enjoyed it though and I vowed to return when the weather was clearer; took me seven years to get back!

Eastern entrance to the trail: