Mount Jiri in Korea
This October, I completed a two-day traverse of Mount Jiri (Jirisan), South Korea’s highest mainland mountain and its first national park, covering roughly 40 km along the main ridge.
Day 1 (Thursday, Oct 8): I spent the night at Nogodan Shelter, near the western end of the ridge.
Day 2 (Friday, Oct 9): I set out at 3:00 a.m. in the dark and walked the full main ridge east. I crossed the summit of Cheonwangbong (1,915 m), then descended past Jungbong to Chibatmok Shelter. I arrived at 2:30 p.m. after about 11½ hours on the trail and stayed there for the night.
Day 3 (Saturday, Oct 10): I left Chibatmok at 1:30 a.m. and descended the long valley trail through Yupyeong Village. I reached Daewon Temple (대원사) around 4:30 a.m.
Total distance: about 40 km (25 miles)
- Nogodan Pass to Cheonwangbong: about 25.5 km; Cheonwangbong to Chibatmok Shelter: about 4 km; Chibatmok to Daewonsa: about 9.8 km
Long hours on the ridge under the stars are a good reminder of what I tell my patients: steady pacing, rest when you need it, and listening to your body will get you much further than pushing hard.
