Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Muskoka's Own]

So I've been reading up about the country in preparation for my arrival and found that there are ski resorts in South Korea. As an avid skiier, and a veteran ski instructor (roughly 7 seasons) this interested me greatly. I'm still thinking of where to live, are any of these hills/mountains big? Could anyone compare them to Canadian equivalents. Is it like Ontario skiing, Quebec, West? Also, is it easy to spend a weekend or even a long weekend at a ski resort if I don't live near one? Are they expensive? I know it is a strange time to be asking as the season just ended, but just curious for next winter when I will actually be there.

[T-J]

I compare Korea to Eastern U.S. skiing conditions not Western States.

That being said the drop and difficulty found are big enough to be considered for hosting the Winter Games.

[No_hite_pls]

I am also an avid skier. I have skied in the Alps, Canadian West, and many many Eastern US and Canadian resorts.

I have to say skiing in Korea is Ok. They have nice lifts but they receive
very little natural snowfall. The slops are extremely crowded and they close
for dinner 4-6:30. WTF

Eastern US is much better.

[No_hite_pls]

[Underwaterbob]

Ditto pretty much all of the above, and the longest run in Korea is at Hi-One resort and is just over 4km, though much of it is beginner slope.

Skiing (boarding in my case) gets pretty crowded at the nicer resorts in peak season. You'll be better off on the advanced slopes, which tend to be less crowded.

[Muskoka's Own]

[Underwaterbob]

[No_hite_pls]

[prideofidaho]

Just wanted to mention that these hills get very, very crowded. The smaller ones I've been to remind me of Glen Eden in Ontario...not terribly challenging, kinda boring, but with a few thousand more people who've never been skiing before, so hills are crowded, and at times dangerous.

I think skiing here is more of a strictly relaxed fun time thing. That being said, I've never been to the larger resorts...they're a bit further away from Seoul.

In the past two winters I've been twice (once each winter). It's good fun if you can manage to go on Lunar New Year...the hills are relatively empty.

[earthbound14]

I was an instructor back home too.

Skiing and snowboarding here is pretty good. It isn't the Rockies, but I would say it is relatively comparable to Quebec and probably better than Ontario. I haven't skiied at too many resorts in ONT or QUE though.

Tremblant might be better and easily gets more snow with a longer season. Ski life out west is better too. Koreans have no concept of fun apres ski. No clubs or parties goin on near the resorts.

That said, the mountains here are small but scenic. They don't get much snow so you're skiing on man made. You can 't really ski off piste. Once in a while there is enough snow and you can rip through some trees (although not enough snow to fully cover all the under brush). A powder day here is measured in cm....usually less than 10. They do do a good job of grooming runs here. Many expats here complain about icy conditions, but if you've skied in Quebec or Ontario you'd probably have far worse stories of ice. They really do a good job of grooming and the weather isn't cold enough to make a skating rink.

The runs can be crowded but if you are a good skiier you can hang out on more advanced runs all day where far fewer people go and people are really just like skiing through moving trees anyway...kinda fun. Waiting in lift lines can be pretty painful though, especially when every one is stepping on your gear. I simply accept that my bases will look sweet at the end of the year but the caps of my skies will be all scuffed. Again if you hang out on advanced runs, ski during lunch and earlier in the day (or better yet mid week or late night) you can avoid the worst line ups. I never ski on a long weekend.

The price isn't bad and can be very affordable if you know where to go and what to do. It can also be very pricey if you don't know all the little secret tricks involved in getting a better price. It can be frustrating as the price can sometimes be higher than going to Whistler, but if you know all the required little tricks you can get about 50% off almost every time. Getting a package off line, getting a skier with a season pass to buy your ticket or simply finding the right coupon will make all the difference. The cheapest way to ski is to get a seasons pass your self. I skied at Phoenix Park (one of the better resorts and close enough to Seoul that it your able to go more often) for 200,000 a month (season pass, bus, condo with friends) for a four month period. 400,000 for the pass, 400,000 for the rent and bus was free with pass along with discount on lift tickets for friends and discounts on other services provided by the resort. The pass means you get unlimited use of the mountain...very nice as there is early morning skiing, day skiing, evening skiing, night skiing and late night skiing (until 4am). All of which require a new lift ticket (from 30,000 won to 80,000 won each - ticket counter prices).

I bought skis here for 500,000 (full kit, top end skis, top end binding, mid to low end boots, pole, bag, goggles) and I picked up a cheap jacket and pants for 50,000. You don't really need top end stuff in this climate or in these conditions....just not going to get pushed that hard (although my boots do suck). All gear was older models (My fave - Rossi). Buying new, and buying big names can be very pricey here though, so if you want the nicest newest gear, bring it from home or shop around in the off season. Korea has some of the worst prices during the season but some of the best prices in the off season.

You can choose to ski near Seoul (45 minutes). Smaller hills with very limited slope. Fun enough if all you want is lots of mileage. You can ski in the morning before work or late night after work. You'll need your own wheel though if you want this kind of flexibility. Buses run only during the day. Or you can choose to go skiing in Gangwon Province. There are a number of resorts that are about 1hour 30 away (in the best of traffic, but usually more than 2, sometimes 3. I'd look up Phoenix Park, High 1 and Alps Resort. Alps has the best snow and the least crowds, but it's far and almost no one goes there (even though it has the best location in terms of snow and slope). High 1 is supposed to be the new big player with a little more snow than Phoenix and better runs (with longer travel time though). Phoenix is pretty solid. There are tons os ski resort though, so do some research.

Hope that helps.....save this as a word file perhaps, and let me know if you need some pointers once the winter is under way. Be glad to help.

earthbound14