By Lee Hyon-soo
The Toronto area where I live is completely flat, with no mountains in sight. This made me appreciate the mountains in Korea. Most of them are beautiful, easily accessible and not hard to climb. Whenever I sojourn in Korea, I climb mountains with my friends.
Not only did I climb many mountains in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, but I also realized my lifetime dream of visiting Mount Geumgang and Mount Baekdu.
For ten years — from 1998 to 2008 — the North Korean government allowed South Koreans to visit Mount Geumgang. I joined a group who took Hyundai’s Mount Geumgang tour.
We spent two days touring Mount Geumgang. On the first day, we took the trail which stretched uphill through a beautiful valley. We crossed many antiquated bridges over crystal clear streams. The trail ended at Guryong (Nine Dragons) Falls which was magnificent. The trail that we took on the second day was very steep and we climbed ladder after ladder to reach its highest point, from which we enjoyed a panoramic view of the stunning rock formations.
The timing of our tour was perfect. Although Mount Geumgang is beautiful in all seasons, it is most beautiful in autumn. When we visited in late October, Mount Geumgang was ablaze with color, the leaves turning red and yellow against an exceptionally blue sky. We were overwhelmed by the breathtakingly beautiful scenery around us.
During our tour of China, my friends and I visited Mount Baekdu, which stands at 2,744 meters above sea level. We ascended the Chinese side of the mountain by jeep most of the way and walked about 100 meters uphill to reach the summit. The crater at the summit was much bigger than I had imagined, and it was filled with sparkling blue water. Indeed, it was a picturesque lake and seemed worthy of its name, Cheonji (Heavenly Lake). According to our tour guide, Cheonji is shrouded by heavy fog more often than not, but we were lucky to see it on a clear day.
My greatest mountaineering achievement was scaling Japan’s highest mountain, Mount Fuji, which rises 3,776 meters above sea level. Mount Fuji is more than just a mountain. For centuries, the “peerless treasure” has stood as an object of veneration. It serves not only as a symbol of Japan’s nationhood but is also seen by the Japanese people as their mythic protector.
While I had a stint in Tokyo, I set out to climb Mount Fuji with my friends. From its base, we drove about 2,400 meters up the mountain, which was as far as we could go by car. From there, we hiked up a steep trail leading to the peak.
We started at about 10:00 p.m. and climbed through the night. As it was chilly and pitch-dark, we were dressed warmly, and each of us carried a flashlight. We formed part of a solid chain of panting pilgrims zigzagging toward the peak. We reached the peak before the sun rose. An orange sun slipping above a milky sea of clouds was a spectacular sight to behold.
Why do people climb mountains? The most well-known answer is simply, “Because it’s there.” This was famously stated by George Leigh Mallory when asked about his desire to ascend Mount Everest. However, this answer does not resonate with me, given that I do not have the same spirit of adventure as he did. I climb mountains simply because I want to take my mind off the troubles that I have in everyday life and take refuge in the serenity of the mountains. The joy of inhaling deeply at the summit after hours of strenuous climbing is the ultimate reward.
Lee Hyon-soo (tomhslee43@gmail.com) is the author of the book “Ramblings of A Wanderer.”
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