Hallasan with Family: A Rainy Climb to Korea’s Highest Peak

On Tuesday, October 20, I hiked Hallasan on Jeju Island with eight members of my family. At 1,947 m, Hallasan is the highest mountain in South Korea. It is a dormant volcano with the crater lake Baengnokdam at its summit.

We set out from the Seongpanak trailhead around 6:00 a.m. and hiked out and back on the same trail. Seongpanak is the longest route to the top. It climbs gradually through dense forest before opening onto the upper slopes. By the time we reached the summit, the rain and wind had picked up and the views were mostly hidden in cloud. None of that took away from the day. Reaching the top together, soaked and laughing, is a memory we will keep for a long time.

Total distance: about 19.2 km (12 miles) round trip

Days like this remind me that good health isn’t only about the body. Time outdoors, shared effort, and connection with the people we love nourish us in ways that are hard to measure, and they matter just as much.