Climbing Dobongsan (도봉산) in Bukhansan National Park

It’s the Chuseok (추석) long weekend on a Monday and you’d have thought there won’t be many people hiking. Wrong. In a densely populated city like Seoul, where a national park (Bukhansan Mountain) is easily accessible from anywhere within the metropolitan area, it’s kind of absurd not to rub shoulder with others. With around 5 million visitors each year, it’s no wonder that the natural park is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “Most Visited National Park per Unit Area”.

To get to Dobongsan, you’ll have to get to Dobongsan Station (Subway Line 1 or 7) and take Exit 1. Cross the street, past numerous food stalls and hiking gear shops to get to the Dobong Park Information Centre. You can ask for a basic map in English, but chances are you won’t need it as there’ll be other hikers to follow. Depending on how much time you have and your level of fitness, the information centre will suggest which hiking trail you should take. The Jaunbong route, for example, takes between 2.5 hours and 3 hours to complete.

The hike starts here, although it’s still a short distance before you actually start ascending. One of things you’ll notice is that everyone, from the 6 to the 60, are all fully geared for hiking. I stuck out like a sore thumb with my track shoes, jeans and tshirt. Which brings me to my next two points. Don’t hike with a pair of track shoes because they don’t provide enough grip. Avoid wearing jeans, too, as they will start to wear you down with their weight as you climb. Opt for quick-dry, light materials, and a proper pair of hiking boots. 

For the most part, trekking up Dobongsan is a fairly easy affair. It’s a moderate climb until the last few hundred metres where the elevation starts to turn steep. There are signposts at various junctures, so you won’t get lost. The crowd starts to thin out as you climb, but it’s rare that you’ll actually be alone.

This is what greets you at the Madangbawi rock. Slightly further up (behind me from where this picture was taken) is Jaunbong (Dobongsan Peak). It is a steep, but relatively short ascend with ropes and stairs to the peak. Which I gave a miss this time because of the little grip my track shoes offer.

Overlooking Seoul.

This was the map provided by the Information Centre. The route marked in pink, except for the short loop to Jaunbong, was the trail I took which could be completed in less than 3 hours.