After 40 days of daily rain due to one of South Korea’s harshest monsoon seasons in recorded history, I was excited to get outside and go hiking.
This less popular trail was a real treat. Going with a friend, we hiked from the South Korean city of Gyeongsan to Daegu. The ending point was the famous hangout spot, Suseong Lake (수성못). As a student at Daegu University, this was a convenient hike and one that was filled with beautiful views. A perfect break from class and the constant rain.
We started at 8:30am and were able to reach the first peak Seongamjeong (성암정, 469m) 2.6km from the parking area in 30 minutes. The trail was very steep and the caffeine hadn’t kicked in yet so it was pretty tough.
We continued around the loop for another 4.9km and after 2 hours we finally reached the second peak Byeongpungsan (병풍산, 571m), which felt like a scam. It seems that the last time someone wrote a blog about this mountain was forever ago. There has been significant tree and shrubbery growth so that there’s no longer a view. Reaching this peak requires a 1.2km round trip detour and I would recommend skipping it.
During the hike I made a new friend. He’s quite cute.
Sadly we had to say goodbye to our friend and we continued on to the highest peak Yongjibong (영지봉, 629m). At the summit there isn’t a view but there’s a gazebo a little ways away that has an amazing view.
We stopped for a little while to relax and take in the beautiful views from the gazebo.
The rest of the 5km hike was a fairly easy, mostly down hill with 3 small peaks through pine forests. After another 1 hour 15 minutes we arrived at Suseong Lake and enjoyed Enispanners with some tasty treats at the cafe 1997 Paris and a delicious Japanese fusion lunch.
My verdict?
This is the type of hike you do when you’ve done all the other ones in Daegu. But its worth doing. I had a great time being outside but I will be recommending Biseulsan, Apsan, Palgongsan and then this one.
There was an amazing couple of views I wanted to stay and eat at but my friend didn’t prepare very well for such a long hike. So we had to power through it and it wasn’t as relaxing of a day as it could have been. There were two views in particular I wish I brought a picnic for. I don’t think I’ll be doing this one again considering there are others still left to see, but for the hiking lover in Daegu its worth trying. Ending next to Suseong Lake was pretty cool.
