Season's here, so I packed my gear.
Boarded the ITX-Cheongchun at Yongsan Station.
I love 2-story trains so much~
Watching the platform pass by from the 1st floor of a 2-story car is always a trip.
Arrived at Cheongpyeong Station, today's destination, faster than expected.
There's some weird art in front of Cheongpyeong Station. ITX-Cheongchun stops here, so it's 'Cheongchun (Youth) Station'...?
Anyway, walked about 10 mins from Cheongpyeong Station to the trail entrance.
More snow than I thought, so I slapped on crampons right away.
Stepping onto fresh snow where nobody's walked yet is always refreshing.
Kept grinding up.
Sun set on the way up,
But it's not my first or second time backpacking, so I just put on the headlamp and kept going.
Reached the destination, Gitdaebong Peak.
Pitching the tent.
Fully geared up with a folding mat + self-inflating mat + Gore-Tex bivy + sleeping bag + liner, just lying down watching YouTube.
Meanwhile, it's -10ยฐC.
Water bottle froze the second I let my guard down, had to break it open with a knife.
Clear skies and no obstructions, so I took a ton of star photos.
Meanwhile, it dropped past -20ยฐC, thermometer couldn't even measure it.
Inside the tent stayed around -9ยฐC. Slept like a baby in that setup I mentioned.
Woke up at 6 AM and saw the ISS passing by. That star-like thing in the center passes Korea quite often, and you can see it clearly in the countryside. It looks like a star but moves so fast, it's cool to watch.
Gitdaebong (Flagpole Peak) got its name from this wind-measuring flagpole. But taking star photos at night, that pole looks and sounds like a person, gave me a few jumpscares.
Puppy? Kitty?
Sadly, the angle wasn't right for the sunrise.
But even after sunrise, it's still under -20ยฐC.
Anyway, packed up quick.
Saw some sus footprints on the way. Deer? Goral? Boar? No idea. They're round and cute though.
Moved from Gitdaebong to Undusan Mountain,
Tried to take the fastest route down but... what is this? A training camp-looking facility in the middle of nowhere? Didn't want to get involved, so I took a long detour.
Descent complete.
Quick nutrient refill at the convenience store,
And headed home via the subway from Daeseong-ri Station. Source: Monorail Gallery
"Users are impressed by the OP's 'hardcore' winter camping in -20ยฐC weather, with some calling them a natural-born soldier while others vibe with the romantic star photos."
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