Jeju Island Day 2: Spectacular Hallasan

Mt Halla, Jeju-do, South Korea
Sunday,19 October 2014


Parking Fee: 1,800 Won
Hiking Trail: Yeongsil
Estimated Time: 5hrs round trip
Contact No: (064) 747 9950

Fee Information --> Here

Trail Access Limit --> Here

Hiking to Hallasan is highlight to my trip to Jeju. Why I say so? Sebab aku rasa macam tak sah trip aku ke Jeju kalau tak ke Hallasan. Lagi pun, I’m hiker & I love nature, so, I should include this as part of my trip to Jeju. Pada mulanya, plan aku nak ke Hallasan mendapat tentangan member GGK yang lain terutama sekali pengerusi majlis, katanya “… ko ni tak sah kan kalau tak pergi memanjat…blah blah blah”… hahaha. Tapi ada aku kisah, kalau aku yang susun itinerary, confirm aku akan buat ikut kesukaan aku. Tapi aku buat pun ikut kemampuan ahli lain juga... lebih-lebih lagi Cik Gojes. Tak nak lah nanti orang cakap aku ni selfish kan. Walaupun aku ni dah banyak panjat gunung tapi aku nak juga try panjat gunung kat Negara lain pulak. And to me, kalau ke Jeju, tak sah kalau tak ke Hallasan if you’re nature lovers & hikers. Trust me, Hallasan is beauty beyond description.

Mt Hallasan is one of the three “Soul Mountains” in Korea, is located in the southernmost tip of the Korean Peninsula, and is the highest mountain in South Korea with the height of 1,950m ASL. Hallasan has 7 main trails that range from easy-breezy (Seokgulam Trail) to more challenging (Seongpanak Trail). We hiked thru Yeongsil Trail after dah buat survey based on timing, energy & kemampuan ahli-ahli. In addition, Yeongsil Trail is the most recommended trail because it is easier than other trail and has beautiful scenic view. And this trail will not go to summit, but worth hiking. Ada dua trail saja yang akan bawa ke summit, which is Seongpanak Trail & Gwaneumsa Trail but this two trail will take one day hike. InsyAllah, next time ke Jeju, maybe boleh cuba either of this two. 

Yeongsil Trail is located on the Northwest of Mt. Hallasan and accessible from Highway 1139 (also known as the 1100 road). Note that the trail has two levels of parking lots and the second higher lot is at the trail head. There is a bus stop at the lower parking lot. But, if you come with car, is better to park at the second parking lot.

Parking Area.... sila datang awal untuk mengelakkan kena parking jauh

Kami bermula seawal 7.00 pagi selepas bertolak selepas suboh dari hotel Jeju Hiking Inn. Perjalanan dari Hotel nak ke starting point Yeongsil, lebih kurang 1 jam juga.

Ada Convenient Store di permulaan trail

Entrance to Yeongsil Trail

Actually, aku saja pilih train ni memandangkan kami nak jimatkan masa, so that, kami boleh plan untuk ke tempat lain juga after hiking to other nearest attraction. Kalau aku choose trail yang nak ke peak, mahu jeju trip aku panjat Hallasan sajalah, hahaha. Anyway, make sure to bring plenty of water, snacks & energy foods along.

Trail thru Yoengsil will take you approximately 5 hrs round trip. Tapi, memandangkan this is our first time hiking to Hallasan confirm lah takkan 5 hrs kan. Maybe, bolah buat kalau hiking saja tanpa stop & amik gambo. Tapi kami ni pelancong, confirmlah takkan nak suka-suka panjat tanpa menikmati keindahan alam semesta kan. Lagilah, dah masuk autumn season ni, trail view memang sangat cantik. Rugi rasanya panjat tapi tak abadikan apa-apa. Tapi aku rasa kalau Nov, view mesti lagi awesome. Alhamdulillah, cuaca memang sangat cerah & cantik. Sesuai sangat untuk photography. 

Beginning of Yeongsil Trail

The beautiful Yeongsil Trail

Breathtaking view thru Yeongsil Trail

Our target is up to Witseoreum Shelter but we hiked up to Witsojogeunoreum

Leisure Trail thru Yeongsil

Leisure trail sambil menikmati keindahan

Tapi aku memang respect orang-orang veteran kat Korea ni. Memang hiking ni makanan dia orang agaknya kan. Cool jer panjat macam orang muda punya energy. Jangan terkejut kalau sepanjang korang hike kat sini memang penuh dengan ahjumma & ahjussi saja. Memang ada orang muda tapi tak ramai.

Semangat Ahjussi ni angkut anak dia skali

 

Trail heading to Witsoreum Shelter

Awesome view from Yeongsil Trail, Hallasan

Blom sampai peak lagi tapi view kat belakang tu superb

Semakin ramai hikers veteran yang sampai

GGK Tak cukup korum

Hallabong... a gift from kind Ahjussi

Really enjoyed the hike

Excited ahjussi & ahjuma ajak bergambo

View bila hampir ke puncak

Hike leisurely along the ridge

We're almost to the top

Cuaca makin panas tapi kami teruskan juga

Actually, aku, Fad, Kay & Hani saja yang sampai kat atas ni. Adeq & Bai yang paling laju naik pun dah mula turun sebab tak nak teruskan. So, basically, mereka tak sempat lah nak menikmati view yang lagi cantik kat atas tu. Fida menyusul selepas kami dah mula nak gerak turun ke bawah. Tapi dia masih sempat lagi catch view yang cantik kat atas tu. Bagi aku, kami dah gerak sejauh ni, why not teruskan saja lagipun aku masih tak puas hati lagi sebab tak nampak view yang aku idamkan.

Yang paling best perjalanan menjadi seronok disebabkan keramahan korean people during hiking up & down. Boleh kata kan setiap checkpoint kami akan disapa & beramah mesra. Walaupun berbeza pemahaman, bahasa bukan lah penghalang, hehehe. Aku ingat lagi bagaimana veteran korean couple yang sangat ramah berbual mesra dengan kami, padahal kami lansung satu apa pun tak faham, ya kan ajelah. Ada juga yang baik hati offer kami Hallabong. And tak kurang juga yang kasi semangat… aja-aja.

Ada laluan berbatu juga

 

Awesome view of trees

Trail Heading to Witseoreum

Breathtaking view saat kami keluar melangkah from above trail

Subhanallah

Finally after 3hrs hiking + Bargambo

Detour to Witsojogeunoreum or proceed to last station Witseoreum Shelter

We choose up to Witsojogeunoreum

Batu-batu hasil letupan gunung berapi

Ada juga yang trekking up to Witsaeoreum Shelter along Yeonsil trail then go down along by Eorimok trail. And these 2 trails do not go to the summit, but worth hiking. Tapi confirmlah kami takkan turun follow trail lain sebab kami park kat Yeongsil. 

Witsojogeunoreum... viewpoint to see Jeju & Summit, Baengnokdam

Alhamdulillah, we made it up to this point

Sweet memories on top of Hallasan

Rasa tak puas nak bergambo tapi apakan daya, we're running out of time

We returned on the same route

 

Kalau korang peminat Korean drama series, mesti pernah tengok cerita My Lovely Samsoon kan. Citer zaman aku masih belajar lagi ni. Actually, ade satu scene dalam tu i.e. Samson panjat Hallasan bawa diri selepas merajuk dengan Sam-Sik (Hyun Bin). Tapi disebabkan nak buktikan cinta dia kat Samson, Boyfren dia ni sanggup cari Samson sampai ke sini & panjat juga sebab dia pernah janji nak panjat sekali. Tapi masa ni, tengah hujan, so, tak nampak lah true beauty of Hallasan. Trail scene ni bukan lah di Yeongsil because Sam-soon took the Seongpanak trail (trail yang akan bawa ke summit), which takes nine hours round trip. Anyway, memang sweet lah moment tu. Kalau lah ada yang willing to do the same thing, hehehe. 

Pagi tadi still cloudy tapi otw balik cuaca cerah, so, the true colors of the trees can be seen

Trail that we follow this morning

The color has changed

View yang awesome ni hanya hiking thru the Yeongsil trail in autumn

Trail balik pun mempesonakan

We ended the hiking trip around 1pm. We returned on the same trail. Actually, my target is up to Witseoreum Shelter but due to time constraint we hiked up to Witsojogeunoreum. Ni semua sebab lupa diri bergamba, hahaha. Overall, I really enjoyed the hike.

Kalau diberi pilihan, bagi aku lah, daripada ke Museum or Waterfall, lebih baik panjat Hallasan. Tapi itu ikut pilihan hati masing-masing lah. Kita ni rambut je sama hitam tapi hati lain-lain. So, decide based on your interest. And prepare earlier, if you plan to hike. Trail dekat Hallasan ni saja ada 7 & lokasi pun berbeza, so, kena decide lah nak follow trail yang mana. If you have a plenty of time, try lah trail yang panjang & menuju puncak.

Alhamdulillah... segalanya Indah di Hallasan today.


To be continued...