Hike Korea

Home
Hike Korea

Hike Korea specializes in Korean Mountains. North and South. It conducts independent guided tours and guided hikes to achieve this.

Hike Korea is a foreign owned travel company registered in Korea that specialize's in highlighting for visitor's to Korea its more unique attractions outside its urban districts. These are its mountainous and rural treasure's that include its numerous mountain trails, natural beauty, and Korea's indigenous links to its ancient terrain. Please visit the trails page to view some its products. Hike K

orea also meets independent and customized travel inquiries. Hike Korea also conducts cultural research and travel promotion through photography, media and writing. Its core philosophy is to brand Korea's image to the world as a travel destination of unique and intriguing discovery. Hike Korea emphasizes strongly the link Korea has with its ancient mountain culture and uses this as its foundation for its empirical studies and tours. Its long term goal is to one day see most of Korea’s wonderful cultural and historical attractions interconnected by a series of national trails that pass through mountains, rivers, valleys, villages, and cities. Hike Korea is the only travel company in Korea that reaches out to all corners of the peninsula. Hike Korea also publishes English books and photographic essays on Korea's unique mountain culture and is deeply involved in cross-cultural exchange between North and South Korea. It's owner Roger Shepherd has traveled many times to DPRK and self-published photo-art books displaying Korea's mountainous terrain from the North and South. He has exhibited his work in Pyongyang and Seoul and works closely with relevant ministries in North and South Korea. His work is well received by the Korean communities on the peninsula and around the world.

11/11/2024

An enjoyable afternoon opening at the in Gwanghwamun,Seoul. I even did my intro in L2 Korean. A good turn out and nice to meet the other artists. Also a special thanks to my Hanguk chingus that turned up. We went and ate boiled chickens in the alleyways of Dongdaemun after. Chur.

06/11/2024

I’m having a fantastic last tour of the year with six gentlemen from the island of Hawaii.

We started in Naejangsan three days ago. Even it was a Monday, there was a full on autumn festival still raging at its entrance. It was a mental and exciting way to start. I had no idea it would be that packed still after a weekend, when it woulda been nuttier. But cool and funny in a unique way. Korea.

But there was hardly anyone hiking up in the grand mountains of Naejangsan on a Monday once we got to Sinseonbong 763m. We got down on dark and walked for 30 more minutes to the car park before getting into the Staria van.

We ate a large 산체비빔밥정식 at one of the entrance sikdangs before driving to the Buan Tourist Hotel for the night. It was a good hotel with friendly staff and a free breakfast in a hall.

Next day we drove to Bulgapsan 516m in Yeonggwanggun. Of course a beautiful and remoter area in Jollanamdo. The charming entrance area was shining and the friendly locals selling their roasted chestnuts in thick jolla dialect. Nice.

The horseshoe course was a brilliant hike, staying on the ridge, on some tricky ledges was fun.

From there we drive to Naju and went to #하이스파사우나, a sauna, and enjoyed soaking in that experience. The light mountain winds are already getting icy. We stayed at the Maruo Hotel. The rooms again spacious and clean. Naju is an innovation city stuck in the middle of rice farms. It’s an interesting contrast.

Today we got up and ate some breakfast across the road at a 24eMart before hitting the road to Wolchulsan 810m. The weather was still November sublime.

We climbed up the steep broad Wolchulsan, crossing the vermillion orange cloud bridge. It was such an awesome day to see the oriental mountainscape of moon rise mountain. One of the top peaks in Korea. I never get sick of it.

We went to 설울대중사우나 in Yeongnam. A really lovely little sauna about the size of half a tennis court, with the quiet and accepting locals. This is non touristy areas. County saunas are part of autumn tours now.

03/11/2024

On the last day of the Jirisan traverse the November rain arrived at Jangteomok. So after frying up some smoked duck and brewing some Kanu stick coffee, we set off to the summit of Cheonwangbong 1915m once some light arrived. It was pointless leaving in the rainy dark for a sunrise we wouldn’t see. It took us the mandatory hour to arrive at the wet windy empty peak. It was Jiri.
It wasn’t that cold. It’s been much colder up there in warmer months. We started our descent down the wet mountain. I love November as a hiking month in Korea. Its rains boldly confirms the colours of the rocks and forests. Particularly the coppers and blacks.
We did it good time, not stopping to mess around. The Rotary shelter is under renovation. It looks like it will be nice, like the new one at Nogodan.
We got back to my car which had been delivered to Jungsanri from our start point back at Hwaeomsa. Changed into some dry kit in the public toilets and headed to Danseong and had a good hot sauna there. After that we ate a delicious mountain vegetable bibimbap with pajeon and makoli at #예담원 Hanok village.
From there it was a drive to Jinju where I dropped my guest at his guesthouse #손길게스트하우스.
An enjoyable three days of hiking the Jirisan ridge with him. Chur chur. #하이크코리아 #로저셰퍼드 #금강블레스사우나 #장터목대피소 #중산리 #단성 #진주

31/10/2024

Been a top couple of days on the Jirisan traverse with my Ozzie guest . We started at Hwaeomsa temple yesterday and made the grueling 4hr climb up to Nogodangogae before hitting the ridge proper. It was a 10hr hike before we reached the Yeonhacheon shelter and got stuck into a big meal of pork belly and chicken and vegetable soup. A restless night in the stuffy shelter, but it was enough for the pins to recover. A big breakfast and we set off the next morning for Jangteomok shelter. Conditions today were a little better for an 8hr hike. Lots of good light on the mountain. Another big dinner, this time a sausage casserole, after the always good sunsets you get over Banybong from Jangteomok. Early tomorrow morning we’ll hike for an hour up to the peak of Cheonwangbong 1915m in what is forecasted as a little rain. But we hope the forever wind on the highest chilly peak of mainland South Korea 🇰🇷 will help clear an opening for a good sunrise. As one fellow local hiker said, the exchanging Cheonwangbong weather. After that we’ll descend to Jungsanri and drink a big fu***ng bowl of makoli. The weather in this hike hasn’t been cold, and the sunlight is glary and warm, but I can feel that pre winter alpine wind sneaking its way through the nooks and crannies. We did see two large and stunningly beautiful pine martens dash across our trail. They were big about a meter long with their bushy black tails and harvest yellow coats. I’ve never seen them that yellow. They normally a copper brown. I did a check and see they must have been the yellow throated pine marten. An endangered species. Chur.

27/10/2024

Top weekend launching the Jirisan Guidebook at the Asia Trail Conference in Gurye. And catching up with staff from North London Collegiate School on Jeju and showing them some ideas in the Jirisan ranges and valley of Akyang-myeon in Hadong-gun for outdoor student experiences and Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journeys. #지리산둘레길 #악양면 #형제봉 #신선대

17/10/2024

I saw and checked a final master copy today. It has been a steady effort to get this 133p, 14x21cm guidebook finished. We all only agreed to do it in April this year, and it had to be released by October 25th. I couldn’t do anything but think about how to make it for the first three months, because Hike Korea was busy with guests. But that is almost as good as doing it, if that is all you can do about it.

Then, at the start of that wicked summer we are still having, from July 1st, I sat down and grafted a good manuscript in ten weeks. Complete with all my own photos, Adobe Illustrator designed maps, and several trips to the field. But it was my experience in Korea that mostly did it I think.

For the past month the book has been with the publisher who has created the final design and layout, and it looks much better. None of the content I wrote was altered. And in the introduction I wrote quite colorfully about the creation of Korea and its mythological beginnings with mountains. Referenceable material.

The overall course map for the 300km Jirisan Dulle-gil is a double page rendition on Koreas famous wood block printed Taedongyeojido. So cool there. It would make a good poster I think.

The guidebook will be released next Friday at the opening of the International Asia Trail Conference to be held in Jirisan, Gurye, Jeollanam-do, which starts Oct 25th and runs till the 27th.

I will talk more about the backers and the Legislated National Trail concept for South Korea once the book is readily available.

I am unaware of any cost at this time for the guidebook or the number of copies that will be available and how it will be distributed later. But it will most likely end up in the bookshops.

It is the sixth serious book I have made on Korea. Chur. #지리산둘레길 #하이크코리아 #로저셰퍼드 #산림청 #한국등산트레킹지원센터 #백두대간 🇰🇷

12/10/2024

Some good conditions today in Seoul for some Saturday hiking with guest Job from Guatemala and America.

We took the Bibong spur up to Munsubong. There was plenty of photo ops. There’s also no way, other than Korea, when it comes to a developed nation allowing citizen hikers to climb to the Kubrick obelisk at its nip. I couldn’t hardly believe it up there with woman my age.

An incredible circuit with Job who reveled in the uneven terrain.

Seoul is abuzz tonight. Jongnosamga is the place for downtown Seoul. I said it before.

Glory to all Korea.

08/10/2024

I got up at 6am and drove east three and a bit hours to Juwangsan. I met my guest Maritzina. We hiked the bigger circuit loop up to #가메봉 882m in a light drizzle and cloud. We plied north a bit on what is a part of the Nakdong-jeongmaek I’m sure, before descending back down through the still spring green coloured acorn and chestnut forests at the top of Yongchu falls. A walk through the volcanic terrain and jade green waters.

It was a brisk six hour hike achieved in an afternoon of warm then cold then post rain warm forest. I may have only been to Juwangsan once before in my life. Maritzina was collected in the car park at 6pm and returned to her small group custom traveling Korea. It was a great afternoon!

I decided to drive to Cheongsong and I found an Oncheon. I soaked me bod in the hot mineral waters. It helps heal my leg muscles after seven days of continuous hiking and long distance driving. Awesome!

I grabbed a couple of bottles of apple makoli and got on the freeway. It was a long drive on well made empty dark roads. Chur.

06/10/2024

Day 4: On the last day of hiking, we drove over the Nakdong-jeongmaek stopping to watch the sea mist pushing up the wet green valley under the crisp autumn sky. Then drive down to Donghae on the east coast and park at Mureung valley under the brooding Dutasan.

In subliminal weather we hike the canyon course as it contours along the southern cliffs of the gorge. The views are oriental art if I am allowed to use that term. Twisted pine trees protruding from pinnacles of pink ochre granite.

The trail takes you to the gorges apex at the Yongchu waterfalls. There you can take it back by using the northern side of the valley. Which we did. Many great viewpoints again and less traffic. It also provides a panorama of what you walked on the other side.

That night grilled freshwater eel recommended from a local guest at the I-Hyunjin Hotel. There’s a lot of good affordable hotels in the city provinces now.

The next morning Ivana took the KTX to Seoul to take her plane back. I hoped it was a hiking tour with good diversity. I think so. Chur.

06/10/2024

Day 3 and it’s a scenic drive to Taebaeksan. There will be a mountain Heaven worship ceremony on the large oil stone altar at the exposed top. It’s Taebaek, so it’s dark and cold. We make our way with small groups of other hikers. At Mangyeongsa temple it is windy, cold and wet. There’s nowhere to eat inside but they sell hot cup ramens which I purchase with two disposable rain jackets. I’ve used them before. As an outer insulator you can feel the extra body heat it can trap.

The ceremony is attended by all dignitaries of this area. The city mayor delivers the offering to the heavenly inside the altar named Cheonjaedan. Its location is thousands of years old.

We head off in the wind and fog, taking the ridge way to Munsubong. From the shaman doltaps we make our way back to the carpark. Taebaek is bleak and dark, making the rooms at the Ramada snug. We went into the city center down and saw Hwangji pond where the spring from the temple we ate ramen up on the cold mountain comes out. In that area we ate a delicious menu of pork belly at a nearby restaurant.

06/10/2024

Already a week ago feels like another season. Then, I had met my guest Ivana in the small sparkling town of Punggi-eup. We drive to the Choamsa carpark and in brilliant hard blue sky started the steep hike up to Birobong. By the time arrived at the top the Sobaek ranges were covered in wet clouds and cold wind. We then traversed down from Gukmanbong area back to the car. We ate a Samgyetang (chicken and ginseng broth) that night. Stayed at the old Punggi Tourist Hotel. Still old rooms but clean with good staff. You can use the sauna next to it for free. I did. I haven’t gone any big hills this summer.

The next day we drive to Okjeonyaksu, an entrance area up to Bakdal-ryeong on the Sobaek range again. It was another big walk in pristine weather, but fair to say it was warmer by the afternoon. The main highlight was we joined the Munsu-jimaek from Okseoksan 1242m on the 백두대간 and walked that hilly leg to the grand Chuksoksa temple. We stayed there that night. Being well looked after by the staff. Beautiful spot.

22/09/2024

It was at least a cooler day to hike in Seoul today. And the only route to Baegeun-dae is from Doseon-sa until they fix the landslide on the other side. So there was a few people on that walk today, being a Sunday, and as I said, with temperate weather and long views in clear skies.

Hunter and Yeong-sol are traveling around Korea together. I think Hunter is an intelligent good young man with an American upbringing and his girlfriend Yeong-sol from Seosan is an equally talented Korean girl.

It was kind of nice for me to see such affection for each other.

Top day!

06/09/2024

A superb day in light drizzle in Bukhan-san, Seoul with guests from . After pick up at I decided that we’d hike to Baegeun-dae from the #효자동 #고양시 coz I reckon these two could hike a day and they had no other schedule other than me. But coz I am the best hiking guide in Korea I didn’t know that #백운대 was closed coz a landslide. So we headed up to the ridge anyway. Met Mr Pak a retiree and ex Bukhansan volunteer guide who showed us some good places on the way. Then left him at the pass and hiked south a bit before took the tricky route along to Bi-bong. Best hiking guide in Korea had no idea that it was a little precarious, but I know I’ve been here before, but how could I ever remember that after all the walking I’ve done on this peninsula. But they loved it. So all cool. After a day of hiking our driver picked us up at #연화사 temple and we drove down to the #종로빈대떡 in #광화문 and we ate pajeon and bindaedeok with #장수막걸리. What a treat. Wonderful couple. Great Americans. So I cruised back to me hotel took a shower put on some jeans and hit Seoul on a Friday night. It’s a buzz. Best night of Friday weather they’ve had for two months likely. Lots of fuzz out too. That’s not a good thing. But Korean cops aren’t troublemakers so all good. I assumed it was becoz another big Friday night right wing remonstration might have been planned but didn’t happen. So they keep the cop buses there and send the lads out on team policing patrols and traffic and pedestrian management. There’s no overseas leaders here in Seoul that I’m aware of that are knowledgeable enough of the Korean situation that need that much attention for sure. So yeah just abandoned street protest cuz. Ka pai.

07/08/2024

North Korea July 2012: As I stood taking a p**s, staring at the cow, I couldn’t help but think of what Mr Han had said some days ago. He claimed cows on the Kaema escarpment #개마고원 had shorter legs than cows elsewhere in Korea. Once again I wasn't sure if he was taking the mickey or not. He said it was to cope with the higher altitude and freezing winters. The heart had less distance to pump the blood. I couldn't believe that.

On a fast running stream, two men came bobbing around a bend on a long raft of logs. I had never seen such a thing in my life and never expected it here in Korea. I finished and zipped up, and ran for the vehicle. I reached inside the open window and grabbed my camera. As I shuffled closer to the scene, knowing I didn't have much time, I quickly adjusted the camera settings, pointed, clicked, and panned the guys as they sped past me.

From the small grassy summit of #태흘봉 Taeheul-bong 1970m in #운흥군 Unhung-gun, #량강도 Ryanggang-do, North Korea we could see northwest in the direction of #백두산 Paektu-san 2750m, some 100kms away, the #북포태산 Bukpotae and #남포태산 Nampotae ranges on the #백두대간 Baekdu-daegan, east of #삼지연군 Samjiyon-gun. The locals in the village of -ri, had said that if they wanted to see Paektu-san, they could climb on a clearer day, their Taeheul-bong, and celebrate the view from there. I pointed my zoom lenses that way and took some extreme setting photos that might reveal more when edited. They did. The dorsal fins of Paektu-san appeared from the white noise of the horizon.

With the naked eye from Taeheul-bong we could distinguish the surrounding mountains of #두류산 Duryu-san 2309m 50km to the south, and closer to us, #누른봉 Nurun-bong 2033m on the 백두대간, just 3km to the north away. #백사봉 Baeksa-bong (백두대간) is nearby to the east, and #권두봉 Gwondu-bong 2136m is a distinctive k**b on a parallel running ridge to us just, south on the other side of the valley.
#로저셰퍼드 #하이크코리아

30/07/2024

Hot day out in Korea today. A kind of furnace heat. But it was a wet July, so the fields are looking lush around Jiri mountain. Her ridges are zircon green and allure coolness. Her rivers, fresh and full, shining like mercury in the searing mid summer light. Another time, yet not. Korea the biggest smallest country in the world. So many new dimensions in each old valley, on each old road, on each new trail where you go. #하이크코리아 #로저셰퍼드

23/07/2024

North Korea photos and scribes published back in 2011 - On the Baekdu-daegan a thin track made from wild pigs, bears, deer, and whatever else lurked in these isolated mountains, shimmied its way up to the summit. An hour later we came across a small clearing and took time to stop and admire the breathtaking views out over the Korean mountain-scape. The horizon was endless. The blue mountain lines swam out like mini tsunamis. We reached the peak of Duryu-san Mountain 1323m. The wind dropped and the sky north of us became a touchable blue, thinly dressed with ribbons of soft cloud. To our south the winter sun shone warmly on our dust and sweat stained faces. Squinting through its glare, we could see a plasmatic horizon of mountain hues atomizing endlessly into an explosive white oblivion. The kind of place you could fall into. Here we were, militant foes, political opponents, drawn together by mountains, a symbol of the Korean people.

At the small thicketed summit was a table sized clearing of yellow sun beaten grass where we rested and enjoyed the moment and views. After eating I got up and slipped through the mountain thicket like a finch. for a look out the other side. I stood and looked along the Baekdu-daegan. It was like looking into a secret passage, an old route that no one knew about, an ancient highway that once moved culture and history freely throughout the peninsula. It was a great rare moment. I wondered whether one day I might be able to walk its entire length on the peninsula. For now this was special enough, an unprecedented start that was perhaps the beginning of an opportunity. Standing there, my life felt like a time capsule, I didn’t care if I was in the future or the past.

19/06/2024

This morning the four high school students and two of their teachers set off from the heli-pad summit of Wangmo-san 670m, where we camped last night.

Yesterday had been an intensely hot day in the lower pine forests around Andong dam near Dosan-myeon. They took a couple of hours of siesta in the heat of mid afternoon at the car park beneath Wangmo-san, before taking two hours to climb its steep course to the top. From the car park we had to carry extra water up, so they had enough for today’s back country ridge section to Sinseong-bong 830m and down to Cheongryang-san entrance via Jukyong-bong.

It’s gonna be another tough hot day. They’ll have more forest for protection but there’s plenty of bugs in there too. Water is always the big issue and discipline in this heat.

Let’s hope they have a successful Day 2 of Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey for Silver Medal Award. They certainly deserve it in these conditions.

12/06/2024

Munjang-dae today from the picturesque Hwabuk-myeon side. A glorious day in the fresh forest filled rocks of Sokli. A solid area of Korea for a pastoral feel in green glades of pink and white mountains. I use to roll in this area some years ago and hiked many of its trails and non-trails. It is a maze of rocky grooves and clear streams. It is a large Y-shaped park in a strongly sensual part of Korea for indigenous spirits. My two guests from Singapore 🇸🇬 are not familiar with the wide open up and down spaces of a mountainous nation like Korea. Our day hike was followed with a delicious pork belly bbq at #수리봉식당 #화북면. I love ❤️ Hwabuk-myeon. All that side of the Daegan is cool in Sokli.

Address

Telephone

+821029667612

Website

http://www.hikekorea.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hike Korea posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Hike Korea:

Videos

Okryun-san 2164m is near the Baekdu-daegan in Bujon county, North Korea. It also has a stone-river. An old lava flow full of submerged water. The rocks are permanently melted together.

We slept by swift mountain streams at night. We all shared the same teepee ⛺️ smoking, farting, snoring.

백두대간 남북통일 Korea is one nation one people! #로저셰퍼드 #하이크코리아 #백두대간 #북한의백두대간산과마을과사람들

We couldn’t keep refrigerated foods with us for long. So we sometimes got opportunities to eat local fresh stuff in North Korea. For example we might get lucky and pay some villagers to slaughter a duck or pig if they could spare one. Local herbs too. And there was always fresh honey. So much and so good you could get a tummy ache if you ate too much. I found out Winnie the Pooh tummy aches are real!

Smoking raw tobacco, drinking acorn whisky and eating roast potato in the backcountry of North Korea 🇰🇵. #northkorea #북한의백두대간산과마을과사람들 #북한의백두대간 #hikekorea #하이크코리아 #로저셰퍼드 #hikinginkorea

#북한의백두대간산과마을과사람들 We would try and take our vehicle as close as possible to the mountain. Often the backcountry roads wouldn’t let us do that. So we would go back and try to find another way or camp there and start walking.

Shortcuts

Address
Telephone
Alerts
Contact The Business
Videos
Claim ownership or report listing
Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?

Country:

City:

11/11/2024

06/11/2024

03/11/2024

31/10/2024

27/10/2024

17/10/2024

12/10/2024

08/10/2024

06/10/2024

06/10/2024

06/10/2024

22/09/2024

06/09/2024

07/08/2024

30/07/2024

23/07/2024

19/06/2024

12/06/2024

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Videos

Shortcuts

Share