Korea Hike: Achasan in Eastern Seoul

[@elblanco5]

I haven't been to Achasan, but it's now on my list next time I'm in Korea. Continue to enjoy the views, commentary and music choices. Easily one of my favorite new Korea vlogs that really captures a lot of my feelings when I'm there.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy your future visit to Achasan.

[@AndoLaj]

아차산! In the summer of 2022 some friends held a gathering about halfway up the mountain, where I played some live electronic music. Quite an interesting experience, but I am still afraid of heights

[@MikeFromKorea]

I wasn't afraid of heights as a child, but it took hold of me during a summer job framing houses when I was 17. Hiking Korea's mountains helped me get over it as I went into progressively more uncomfortable spots, though I still get a little nervous in some circumstances.

[@rlmtrelomatt7390]

A lovely outing, I enjoy hearing you chat with the people that you meet along the way. I am not normally a fan of music on the videos but your choice of music was truly exquisite, just in the right moment and at the perfect volume😊

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! I'm happy to hear you like the music. Picking the pieces that fit the mood I'm going for can take a bit of time.

[@rlmtrelomatt7390]

@@MikeFromKorea Yes editing a video choosing music and editing it's inclusion is time consuming for sure. Thanks for the dedication.

[@chaisepomme4070]

18:31 I think the brown veg that's in a lot of gimbap is fernbrake or "gosari". What a pleasant hike with lots of greenery. It doesn't look like the easiest hike -- the trail isn't smoothed out -- but more interesting to walk on. I think it's great that Seoul has these mountains that are fairly easy to get to for city folk to take a break from the stresses of urban life. I also liked the walk through the narrow meandering streets before the actual mountain. I'm glad you got your walking/hiking groove back.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Gosari! That's it. I'll probably forget it again by next week, but thanks for pointing it out. As far as Korean hiking trails go, Achasan's trails are among the easiest ones I know of. The path I took on this hike, the one that leads to the temple, is the roughest, rockiest, and most narrow on the mountain, but the ground at least is level. On neighboring Yongmasan, you get all the rough stuff plus some steep slopes and lots of ups and downs along the way.

[@whereisjohnnow]

Thanks Mike for bring me along on your hike. I look forward to seeing more of your hikes. I have done a fair amount of hikes and backpacking in the States, mostly in the western states. California, Arizona, Montana, Utah, Hawaii, etc. Now that I am retired and looking for new places to hike, Korea is on top of my list. I would love to do fall and winter hikes and photograph all the beautiful fall colors, snow covered trails and mountains in Korea. I am adding Achasan to my list and hope to get more ideas from your hikes.

[@MikeFromKorea]

I'm happy to contribute to your list! The great thing about Seoul for hiking enthusiasts is you can hunker down in a hotel for weeks and never need to go far to hike a different trail every day. There are just so many options easily accessible by public transport.

[@IronGotti]

Again, A awesome video! Such beautiful scenery and a great hike! And curious about that new coffee place!

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! It's not a new place, just one I've been ignoring because I was sure it would be garbage: MegaCoffee. Turned out to be pretty darn good with an extra shot. It's 1,500 won for the default two shots, 2,000 won with the extra, and roughly the same size as a Starbucks venti. I've been paying 4,800 won for a venti drip (after the 400 won tumbler discount). I also tried Paik's and didn't like it at all. Even an extra shot couldn't save it.

[@연연이-p3j]

I hope foreign tourists who like mountains see this video! The mountain scenery is very beautiful. 😊

[@MikeFromKorea]

That's why I love this mountain. Such great scenery for relatively little effort, and quite easy to get to.

[@sharonfrancis2571]

Thank you Mike for your vlogs, I am enjoying your style of vlogs learning so much more about this beautiful country, I did visit last year for about two weeks which was just not long enough, so I am back in May and will definitely do this hike, looking forward to your next vlog

[@MikeFromKorea]

Glad you like them! I hope you enjoy the hike and your trip.

[@mizskyguy]

I lived in Jamsil for a little while, and it's always so amazing to see Lotte Tower from other parts of Seoul. It was just a normal occurrence for me, but it's a great reminder of how huge that building really is. Your videos make me miss it so much!!

[@MikeFromKorea]

My friends and I call it the Tower of Sauron. I saw it as a blight on the cityscape when it first went up. Now, it's as much of a landmark as Seoul Tower.

[@paz80917]

Thank you for another great video! There is something very wu wei about them that is relaxing and refreshing to watch. How would you compare this trail to Bukhansan from the point of you of your personal preference?

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! These days I much prefer Achasan over any of the trails in Bukhansan National Park. I think the best way to put it is that the trails on Achasan are like a good cardio workout you can do everyday, and they aren't a large time investment. I can leave my house at 7:00 am, be home before 11:00, spend the rest of the day doing whatever needs doing, and I'll have a good night's sleep. The best thing though is that you get some great views without a huge investment in time or energy. The Bukhansan trails are like a heavy or extreme leg day at the gym. If I leave my house at 7:00 am for one of those, I most likely won't be back home until one or two, my legs will be mush, I won't feel like doing anything else (except maybe taking a nap), my legs will be sore the next day, and I'll need a day or two before I can even think about doing it again. The payoff is the spectacular views from some of the peaks, but there's a big price to pay for them. I do like the Bukhansan trails. In the past, I'd hike them a couple of times a week. I just don't see myself doing that these days.

[@KelseyMA87]

I am moving to Seongnam later this year, so I really appreciate your videos! I currently live in Guatemala where it is not safe to hike alone, but solo hiking is one of my favorite pastimes! I hear it's safe to do so in Korea, correct? Do you find the trails to be too busy or do you have a certain time you like to go when there's not a lot of people? Your videos have been very informative and have helped me prepare for the move, so again thank you!

[@MikeFromKorea]

I'm happy my videos are proving useful to you. In one of the clips I didn't use in this one, I remarked that 15 years ago, you just didn't see young people hiking alone. Usually, it was middle aged+ men and occasionally women. These days, I've seen teenagers out on the trails by themselves. So if you're talking safety in terms of "danger from other people", then relative to the rest of the world, yes, it's generally safe to hike alone in Korea. There's always some risk to it. You never know who you might meet. But from what I know, the bigger danger is wandering down the wrong trail and falling. If you're injured on a rarely traveled path, you may not be found for a while. It doesn't happen often, but there are a few falling deaths every year. Since 2010 or so, the government has been installing more staircases, railings, and other safety facilities on the busier trails to minimize the risk. The best time to hike on any mountain around Seoul is Monday - Friday. Morning or afternoon doesn't matter. Traffic on the trails will be light. On Saturdays, they can get busy, usually from around 10:00 am. I like to start early then, at 7:00 or 7:30. Then I'm either down or on the way down as the crowd is coming up. I used to do the same on Sundays, but these days I avoid Sundays completely if I can help it. Even at 10:00 am the crowds can be so big that on the way down I'll have to keep stopping at the side of a narrow trail to let dozens of people pass. Really detracts from the enjoyment.

[@KelseyMA87]

@@MikeFromKoreaThank you so much for the information! I appreciate you taking the time to reply and I'm looking forward to more videos!

[@maureendishman8125]

I’m no expert but it seems like your vlogging skills are pretty good! Thank you for sharing your hike and the beautiful scenery!❤ I love history so it was nice that you brought up the Korean historical remnants along the hike. I just have a couple of questions: 1) Is there any wildlife (that is, bears or cougars, etc) to be aware of, or is Achasan close enough to urban areas that there isn’t much wildlife anymore, aside from birds? 2) I noticed all the exercise equipment along the way but are there public facilities like restrooms/bathrooms on these hike paths?

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thanks, Maureen! 1) The only somewhat dangerous wildlife I'm aware of in the mountains near Seoul are some wild boars that I believe are just in Bukhansan National Park. I've never seen one, but I've read that their population is increasing. The government is actively hunting and capturing them. There are some Asiatic Bears in the Jirisan range further south that usually come out of hibernation in May. Even so, plenty of people hike Jirisan and the bears tend to avoid them. Beyond that, all you'll see around Seoul mountains are pigeons and several other birds, cats, rabbits, chipmunks, a rare squirrel, and the occasional stray dog. 2) Public restrooms are around. You can find them at the base of just about any trail, if not in a park area then on a street nearby. On the mountains, it depends. Longer trails will usually have some somewhere along the way, but you can usually count on the various temples having something. My wife usually can't complete a hike without visiting a restroom. I can only recall one instance where that was an issue, but that was well outside of Seoul.

[@maureendishman8125]

@@MikeFromKorea Thanks for the information Mike! When my husband was in Korea in the US Army, he had an ajumma that cooked and cleaned for him and others periodically and she treated him like a son and would take him hiking in the nearby mountains. Since he could never grasp the Korean language aside from the basics, he really appreciated her taking him out to experience more of the country and although she only spoke a little English, it was enough for them to get along well. I remember him telling me about the hikes but don’t know which mountains. On a separate note, I’m hoping your ability to do this hike means your foot is fully recovered! Also, you mentioned getting the hike vlog done before you got too busy because of visiting your wife’s family for the Lunar New Year. I wish you and your wife a Happy New Year 🎊🎆 🧧 and all the blessings for good health, happiness and prosperity!!!

[@MikeFromKorea]

Do you know where in Korea he was stationed? If so, then I can give you some ideas of where he might have hiked.

[@maureendishman8125]

@@MikeFromKorea I’m wife #4 so I’m not 100% sure. I was only there for the latter part of his military career. I know he served in South Korea on 2 separate tours and loved it there and the people. He used to tell me about the KATUSAs that worked with him. I thought he said he had something to do with military intelligence (back then he was stationed at Ft. Hood with signal brigade). I remember him saying stuff about the DMZ. Following his first tour to Korea, he was promoted to Ft. Bragg to be part of the Special Forces for a while. I think he said he was called up for his second tour while still with the Special Forces. This time, he was the protocol officer to the General of the Pacific Command and I believe his office was at the military base on Yongsan and he lived in Itaewon. He showed me pictures of his apartment and his car that he bought there but I have no idea where those pictures are now. Now that he has passed away, I really wish I had taken notes! There’s a good deal I don’t know about his lengthy military career but I know he gave everything of himself to his country and his broken body was testament to that! In the end, after serving his country and its allies for 25 years, he was medically retired from active duty service because they found he had a cancerous brain tumor! He will always be my hero!!!❤️❤️❤️

[@MikeFromKorea]

So many veterans have had it rough. I'm acquainted with a few who have had multiple issues since they left the service, including one of my cousins. It takes a special kind of character to make a career out of it. Sorry that we won't be able to narrow the mountains down. The one thing I can say is that, being at Yongsan and living in Itaewon, he most likely would have gone up Namsan at least once. Itaewon is situated at the bottom. So if you make it here and walk up to Seoul Tower, you can be pretty confident that you'll be standing in the same area he once stood, looking out on the same views he once saw.

[@hwasansword]

I never knew Achasan would be this tough course. Thank you for sharing the info as well. 한국말을 너무 잘 하셔서 놀랐어요.

[@MikeFromKorea]

The tough parts of it are very short :-) 감사합니다. 아직 많이 배워야 해요.

[@johnhutchinson9030]

How long did it take you to complete your hike?

[@MikeFromKorea]

The route I walked on this hike normally would take me around an hour and a half if I didn't stop to eat. Well, closer to two hours with the side trip to the fort at 21:31. It took me about three hours this time because of all the filming I did and because I stopped to eat. I ended up not using most of the footage. I shot so much of it between the subway station and the first fort that I burned up over an hour of time and one of my camera batteries. It normally would take me about 30 minutes or so to get to that point from the subway station. Sticking just to Achasan, most hikes will be under two hours if you don't stop for anything. If you extend it to Yongmasan, you'll end up closer to three hours.

[@XarsVariety]

Nice Korean accent. I think it has like a working guy's tone. Kind of blue collar like.

[@emacro65]

Mike, what is your camera setup?

[@MikeFromKorea]

I use a DJI Action 4 on the stick that came with the adventure combo. I've got an Insta360 tripod stand on the bottom of it. Audio is through the DJI Mic 1. I keep the camera in a SmallRig cage. Normally, I have the DJI Mic receiver slotted on top of the cage with the cold shoe adapter and plugged into the USB-C port with a short cable (I just can't stand having it hanging off the side of the camera when plugged in directly with the USB-C adapter). For this video, as an experiment, I kept the receiver in its case and just recorded directly on the transmitter. Some of the audio I ended up using came from the camera's internal mic, some from the transmitter. I'm happy enough with the results that I'm going to stick with this approach for a while. I also have a few different mounts for the camera: a couple of different backpack mounts that I have not yet been able to put to effective use; a very small mini-tripod that sometimes comes in handy; and DJI's adhesive magnetic ball-joint adapter mount that I have yet to use.