Korean gov pleads for hikers to slow down

The more forward-thinking thing to do would be building more trails. Sounds like they have plenty of mountains, but not enough trails to spread people around. But the main point I took from the article is that I need to get ahold of some Korean mythology: Legend has it that the founder of the Korean race is a mountain spirit who was born 5,000 years ago as the son of a bear-woman.

In 1960, I was stationed in Korea, enjoying a lovely year abroad courtesy of the United States Army, First Cav Division. There was a nice rocky spire visible from the highway leading to our camp. A companion and I scrambled up a likely route,meeting the main trail near the summit, which was wall-to-wall with Korean hikers. I believe the peak in question was something like Pae-Gun Dae, translated as White Cloud Mountain. Also later found that our chosen scramble lay within a area closed because of potential mines left over from the late unpleasantness…… Mt. Fuji wasn't nearly as potentially hazardous.

Many Koreans hike in packs, and from what I can observe, spend most of their time yapping to one another. Which to my mind completely negates the rationale for hiking – solitude and an escape from incessant chatter. But in the quieter hills I frequent, a few solo hikers are more likely to be encountered. Sunrise over Gangssibong yesterday: From a damp bivy… (Stealth camping).