This is a hike that’s been on my wish list since finding out about it on some other blogs: Going the Whole Hogg, Hike Geoje and Nicole & Seoul all have great write-ups about it. It turned out to be longer and harder than expected, but utterly cool and totally worth it! It’s a hike I’ll be returning to for sure.

DAY 2 OF 5-DAY stay in Tongyeong

Getting in

I got up at 5:15 because of a mixture of excitement and nervousness about missing the ferry! The day before, I booked the first (06:55) ferry out using this Saryangdo ferry website, so I wasn’t too worried about getting on. There isn’t much parking since this isn’t one of the main harbours so I cheekily used the car park of the supermarket opposite. This ferry departs from Misu harbour (미수항) and is more convenient if you’re staying in the lower island part of Tongyeong (like I was). However, there are other places to take the ferry from. The latest times will be on the website and honestly, I only got it to work for me through trial and error and already having a credit card set up for online transactions. Other ferries I’ve taken since, I’ve just bought tickets at the office before going; off season and weekdays, this isn’t going to be an issue.

The ride over on the car ferry took about 40 minutes and was quite relaxing so early in the morning. Coming in, you pass under a big suspension bridge and get a glimpse of some of the mountain features I was looking forward to seeing, namely the suspension bridge and the ridge trail.

The blogs I’d read all advised a west to east trek which means getting a bus from the harbour area. After getting off, I made a note of where the ferry office was but decided not to get my return ticket since the ferry hadn’t been busy. As I got to the main road, a bus honked and pulled up so I just got on. I was able to use the transit card I use in Seoul: NICE! The bus had a few obvious hikers on board (how did they get on before me…?) and the ride to the west side was pretty cool. I was expecting to get off at a small harbour village called Donji (돈지) but the driver stopped the other hikers and said something in Korean which in hindsight was “Get off at the next stop if you’re hiking!” so I stayed. We went a few more minutes up quite a steep road and got off at a view point and what seemed to be a proper entrance to the trail. I stopped for a few photos from the view point, then crossed the road to begin the real adventure.

Starting the hike

There was an older couple some way in front who I could see through the first part of the wooded trail. Soon after I got to the first rocks and saw what would lie ahead; the rock was angular and somewhat like really thick slate compressed at an angle. This first piece of rock I might have tried to go around as it seemed a bit steep, but fortunately there was a sign and I could see the couple had already started going up. It was easy to get up, but any fall on here would definitely hurt; these were not the ‘friendly’ boulders of Seoul mountains! There were a few of these steep, sharp but solid parts meaning you get high relatively soon. They were all sections I was happy to go up, but would be much less happy about going down!

After a few scambles I was at ridge with an amazing view to the sea in the west and the harbour village of Donji below. The skies were a little hazier than I’d hoped (we’d had a few very clear days in Seoul recently so I was feeling spoiled!) but clear enough to enjoy. I some sections on the ridge the trail wasn’t too obvious to me and the going can be a bit tricky if you go left or right a bit to far. Mostly though, it was pretty straight forward here (literally). The trail was quite well maintained and some sections were clearly marked off limits. I got to the first marked peak of Saryangdo Jirisan. After that, unfortunately, I went a bit too far to my right at some point and the trial started looking a little less like a trail! I checked Naver maps and could see I was a little off the trial which was above me. I could no longer go forward but guessed if I scrambled up the steep rock face on my left, I’d get back to it. This is always risky, not least because the map apps aren’t always the most reliable with the GPS placements, and also, there might not be an easy way off the rock if it went down the other side. Anyway I went for it with my heart beating and trying not to look back (there’s no way I’d be climbing down this!) and it turned out fine. I had cut my little finger though on the sharp rock but hadn’t noticed in my half panic till I’d calmed down a bit. But…the views :o)

The ridge

I was going to be approaching the main ridge which I think is call Dalbawi (달바위) on Bulmosan (불모산). I could see some wooden steps leading that way. Up by the steps was a sign advising it was a bit dangerous and to take the detour around… well with wooden stairs, how dangerous could it be? Up the stairs and to more rock then suddenly the narrow ridge with (fortunately for me) a sturdy steel handrail running the length. I followed it along, carefully and wasn’t actually nervous; the rail was solid and the rock wasn’t too narrow beneath apart from in a few places. However, if there’s been no rail, I’d probably have been going along on all fours! I stopped for a bit in the middle to take some crappy video and admire the excellent 360 degree views; it was fantastic. A bit further on was a tree and shade so I decided to picnic. No cats up here, but there was an inquisitive bird or two.

The ridge is quite long and not too hard to go along. I could see it was coming to an end and I was expecting some nice wooden steps… I was so wrong… Getting off the ridge was the toughest, slowest part of the hike; the way off wasn’t too clear, there were the hard jagged rock and some really steep sections, with and without rails! Also, there were sections with loose shards which worried me about slipping. I should also add that I hadn’t seen a soul since passing the older couple a looong way back. I just took it really carefully (=slowly) not wanting to go off the trail here at all. It was slow going but I made it without incident and realised this hike was actually more mentally than physically tiring!

Stairs and bridges

Finally off the awesome ridge (and writing this post, I’m already wishing I can go back!) and onward to the steps and bridges of Gamabong and Ongneobong (가마봉 and 옥녀봉). There’s a weird set of steps without steps going up to a peak then from the peak the trail goes to a wide sloped rock and then to a cliff with only one way off, a set of extremely steep steel steps

Up the next part and onto not one, buut TWO suspension bridges! They were fantastically placed and joined three otherwise inaccessible peaks. Walking over them gave views into the valleys below and over to the road bridge I passed on the ferry in. From there it was up and down a few small peaks then a stroll into the harbour village.

Next I went to the ferry ticket office to get the next ferry out and just caught the ticket seller before she left for lunch. I had a few hours to kill so grabbed a coffee, grapefruit juice, and cheese and ham toasted sandwich at a harbour coffee shop and sat at a street table looking over to the next island across the harbour. The ferry ride back was uneventful and back on Tongyeong, I drove to a coffee shop called Cafe de Antwerp (another post) before heading back near the hostel. I finished the evening with a (better) samgyetang then went to the hostel for a shower and beer before bed. What a great day!

Places I visited on this trip. Click the ‘door’ icon on the left to see a list: