Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cohiba]

Anyone Camped at Mt. Sorak? My buddies and
I are going there this weekend to do some camping.
We have no idea about this. Any help would be
peachy.

Like: Do we need a tent? (duh)

[SuperFly]

I camped out at that Inn at the foot of the mountain!

[schwa]

You've chosen probably the busiest weekend of the entire year.

[captain kirk]

Are the leaves starting to turn out there yet?

[JongnoGuru]

Depends how deep into the park (i.e., how far from the "ya-hoo"ing mobs) you want to go. But if you're thinking "camping", then tents, sleeping bags, food -- and a LOT of drinking water. When you've found your bit of heaven (most likely in a no-camping area) remember: Don't get caught, Don't burn down the forest, and most of all DO NOT underestimate the need for drinking water. People seem to assume that God has strategically set up mountain springs and streams within a few hours' walk from wherever we are. Huge mistake.

[fidel]

Like someone else mentioned there is a camping ground at the base of the mountain. About three years ago I stayed there at this time of the year. We went with the intention of hiking around the park and camping out but there were literally hundreds of thousands of people jamming up the main road into the park. After sitting at the base for several hours swilling beer and watching the madness we decided against going into the park. The amazing thing was is that because Koreans are such wimps the camping ground was blissfully empty, and grass covered! We had a cool time camping and left the mountain to the sheep.

AVOID AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR!

BTW, I think the camping cost 2000 won but they let us in for free.

[schwa]

[indytrucks]

It really is a pity such a beautiful park is so overrun with the "yahoo-ing" mobs (I like that so much, I'm borrowing it).

Myself, I'll give Sorak a wide berth and head down south to Naejangsan instead. The colors come into full a little later than Sorak; end of the month beginning November is prime. It'll be crowded, but not to the same extent as "Everland-on-Children's Day" crowded.

[joe_doufu]

I am foolhardy and I intend to go this weekend too. Cohiba, where are you going from and how are you going? My friend has a car but I don't know if he's inviting others or not... and I guess I don't know you and it's not my choice because its not my car... well maybe I'll see you on the mountain?

My strategy is going to be, pick the most difficult route and head as deep into the park as possible. Drunks and parents with children can't go very far.

[Cohiba]

Well, after reading posts here and on ExPat, I have come to
the conclusion that going this weekend will be like travelling
on the Incheon/Seoul subway line during rush hour.

So, in a nutshell, we have poo-pooed the idea. Instead we
are going to Woodstock in Sinchon to play poker and spend
the night in a bath house(very Roman).

Quo Vadis

[Intrepid]

Good decision--I turned back from Sorak this time last year. Drove from Seoul, went to Jangsu, Hankye, Osaek, main park entrance--all were super/incredibly full and the park rangers were turning people back from the trailheads. And that was mid-week!
I went off to Naksan beach and "camped" there for a bit.

Go in the second week of November and there will be no one. You'll also catch the first of the snow, probably.

Be aware that the park closes from 15 Nov to 15 Dec for fire prevention purposes.

Also, camping is prohibited everywhere except those outer-park areas. You'll be fined 500,000W if caught camping anywhere nice, like a few hundred meters off one of the main trails. Not that you'd be caught! I've done it, loved it, but just fyi.

And carrying a bunch of water? In Sorak? I've always just camped by a stream that emanated from a temple-less, trail-less area, and drunk the water. Higher, well, once I camped on the Daeseung ridge and needed water--but camping up high is a big problem as there are very few flat places to put your tent or even crash on your sleeping mat.