Hiking Bukhansan

My CIEE friends invited me on a hike to Bukhansan, and it was an interesting trek to get there. We all bought snacks and water for our reward to when we get to the top. We then figured out that we can take a certain bus all the way there without having to transfer 3 times. Now this is when it turns interesting. So we missed the first bus by a minute. After that we had to wait 20 minutes. We finally saw the bus, but after trying to get through people we finally made it to the front. The bus driver then persisted to shut the door. We all were frazzled by this, but we kind of hesitated on getting on. Word of advice. DO NOT HESITATE TO GET ON THE BUS OR SUBWAY; THEY WILL CLOSE THE DOOR! After that we hopped on the bus without hesitation. After an hour long bus ride, we finally made it to Bukhansan National Park.

              The town was very cute, and sold hiking and outdoor gear. There was also a little garden and farm near the bus station. We then started making our way to the trail. The hike approximately took about 2-3 hours to get to the top. We took our time, and made some stops. The hiking trail had many resting areas to have a picnic or just to take a 5 minute water break.

              We are now are almost at the peak, and the trail got very steep. You have to use a rope to help you get up to highest peak. It was nerve racking because it felt like you were going to fall if you didn’t grip hard enough on the rope. After you finally get up to the top, my fear was disrupted by the view of the mountains and the city buildings. We then ate our meals of Ramyun, and kimbap. We also watched people rock climbing their way to the peak of the mountain, and I thought our hike was challenging. After marveling at the view some more, we saw cats sleeping on the edge of the peak! After we said hello to the cats, we decided to make our way down.

              The hike down wasn’t as bad as going up. It probably took us less time to get down. I would recommend going to this national park, and hike Bukhansan. It was challenging, but it was all worth it in the end. If you ever have time, I would suggest going in the morning because the are less people hiking. We went in the afternoon, and it was a little crowded because it was a weekend. Best of luck!!