Lights, Camera, Action!

Whoa. . .sorry for the delay but what a hectic (few) week(s) it's been!

While recovering from an exhausting ski trip that blended right into a birthday weekend, my world was further thrown for a whirl as our morning schedule was replaced with a revised evening one. Though I have spent the better part of my time here working in the evening (which is probably more accurately described as 'night') it was a little rough at first getting going again. It's not easy keeping your energy level up from 4:30-10:30pm, especially without a chance to grab a snack at any point!

Anyways, with my mornings free once again I was able to dedicate some good chunks of time to simply sitting at the computer and banging out revision after revision on the script for my 'Best Job in the World' application. Now, to be honest, while I've shot plenty of home-videos on my Canon PowerShot (which I highly recommended for those in the market for a digital camera, by the way), I haven't actually spent much time ever putting any thought in to creating them. . .lets just say they 'happen.'

So, with only 60 seconds to introduce myself and explain exactly why I am obviously the best candidate for the Island Reef Job, it took a lot of brainstorming, and, even more editing! Luckily, I had the input of both Jay and my Dad to work off of, due to the magic of Skype, not to mention the wizardry of Google Docs (but, whoa, that's a-whole-nothing story in the making).

I spent countless hours sitting in my boxers in an uncomfortable chair banging away at the same few paragraphs. Trying to condense a lifetime of exploration, a passion for discovery, a willingness to report and, of course, a penchant for island life into just a minute worth of material is. . .well, challenging to say the least! But, I did what I could.

My final concept came down to highlighting not necessarily my past explorations, as many applicants seem to have done, but rather focus on what I can bring to the Island that others may not. For example, since deciding to come to Korea, I have managed to put up at least two digits worth of posts each month, with out fail. Sure, there are plenty of people who travel to plenty of places, but what does that say really? What I chose to portray was my willingness, and desire to not only explore but share with others the many discoveries I so actively seek.

While it might sound good on paper, and, yes, I can read it in under 60 seconds, getting it onto film and into a single, aesthetically pleasing video has been. . .well. . .an adventure in and of itself! Allow me to catch you up. . .

After finalizing my 'script' Friday morning, I turned in early to get ready for my big first day of filming. Unfortunately, the sleep Gods did not agree with me as I spent the majority of the night, and early morning, simply lying in bed wondering how in the kimchi I was going to get this all put together in a week. So, after a few hours of rest and even less of actual sleep, I dragged myself out of bed early Saturday morning for a long overdue promise to both my students, and myself.

My bi-annual haircut.

Yeah, it was tough, but, I managed to get myself across the street to the barber/stylist (I guess she'd be classified more as the latter) before noon. I confided in Helena that it had been quite some time since scissors last touched my head and she seemed to understand. For about the first time in my life, that I can remember at least, my six months work of 'work' was shown a compassion usually reserved for those donating to Locks for Love or a similar cause. There was no putzing around, no teasing about the mess I was leaving on the floor. . .just a simple, matter o' fact hair cut. . .that, in the end, turned out pretty darn well. I don't keep my hair cut rankings in my back pocket or anything but when you only do a couple dozen every decade, you tend to remember them a bit more, and, well, this one was certainly worth the 10,000 won. . .now, if that didn't bring a tear to your eye, well, you're just a stone cold piece o' granite aren't ya?!

Okay, here's the deal, I gotta get to bed soon so lets just breeze through the rest of this! I already accidentally erased one video that I needed and will have to re-shoot tomorrow morning. I also haven't slept anything close to a comfortable amount at all this week. Worrying? Maybe. About what? I don't know. Excited? Sure. I'm off to China on Saturday for my first vacation. The week I return will mark my six months. I've got to have my video app in before then. The Tuesday that I 'celebrate' six months on coincidentally coincides with Mardi Gras. . .and, well, I guess I've had a lot on my mind!

After losing a full head of hair and a darn good natural ear warmer, Nate and I headed to COEX Underground Mall where we spent an hour or so in the Aquarium filming clips for TBJ App and tooling around with the fishies. Why not longer you ask. Well, because on our way to the Aquarium we passed a large poster hanging over the mall's main stage which read 'Big Bang,' followed by a slew of Korean that we weren't able to decipher. After checking with a number of middle school girls mulling around, we confirmed our suspicions that Korea's most famous boy band would soon be making an appearance at that very location! Thus, we scurried off towards the Aquarium quickly so as to make it back for the four o'clock appearance. . .I mean, when in Rome. . .right?

Welcome to the COEX Aquarium

While I would have loved to spend more time simple oogling the fish and pretending to be anywhere but Seoul, I agreed with Nate that we should rush through to get back to the 'show.' After all, he was a good enough sport to wake up early, travel across town and fork over the 15,500 won to film me saying ridiculous clips while jumping in front of fish tanks. . .then again. . .maybe he did it for his own personal enjoyment. . .I mean, laughing at others sure is a blast isnt' it! Thanks though doood!

Not much to say about the Aquarium itself however except that you've seen better. And, well, if you haven't, then you probably don't really like Aquariums anyways in which case you might as well just hang out at one of COEX's dozen Starbucks. Not that there's anything wrong with a enjoying a delicious coffee while cowering from sea creatures but, come on, if they're caged, check 'em out!

The one thing I can speak on is the absurdity of the Aquarium's displays (why have I been capitalizing the word aquarium. . .I don't know, it makes it sound more important, that's why). If the idea of an acrylic harp or replica mailbox filled with fish doesn't get you questioning, then perhaps the below picture of a fire extinguisher tank will. . .don't ask me, I'm just as curious as you are!

Oh no, there's a fire, should I put it out or fry some fish!?

The two headed turtle however did get my attention for quite some time. So did the Aquarium's largest tanks filled with a variety of sharks and giant turtles. . .too bad none of the pictures turned out. . .though, again, if you haven't seen these animals already well, you're probably not cut out for island life! Anyways, we blew through the Aquarium in record time, in part because we were anxious to catch Big Band and in part, well, because we were by far the oldest un-accompanied people there!

Two Headed Turtle!

Back out at the main stage we waited for almost a half an hour before anything 'happened.' I mean, sure, before then there was a lot of pushing, some preemptive screams, picture taking and security guard trickery but, those are all expected for any big showing, right? Finally, the crowd elicited a piercing scream in the key of 7th-grade-girl that left my ear drums shaking and my 'manliness' in question. For a comparison, think Backstreet Boys circa 1998. . .there you have it.

OMG!! Big Bang!!

With everyone pushing past dying for a better look, Nate and I weren't really sure what to do but stand there and be excited. Before even trying to capture the event with photographs we figured out that for some reason cameras were not a welcome sight during the appearance. I had heard a similar anecdote from one of my students who attended a Big Bang show and reported that no pictures were allowed during the entire performance. Apparently, this is the case at all their appearances, even without a real 'show.' Left and right security guards were slamming closed elevated cell phones while a man with a mega phone hollered at those in the back with cameras.

Not one to miss out on documenting this opportunity, Nate and I both tried to grab a couple snapshots to pretty much no avail. While taking a picture without the flash is difficult enough while indoors, this feat was made even trickier by the sea of young women pushing us around while simultaneously trying to dodge the attention of authoritative looking security guards. Pretty much all we came out with was the blurry picture below in which you can only just barely make out (from left to right) Tae Yang, T.O.P. and G-Dragon.

Despite the poor resolution and obvious jarring of the camera, for the past week now, this picture has elicited not only horrific screams from our students but tears of joy from at least one of Nates. Apparently this was a big deal that we were lucky enough to simply be in the presence of these 'stars.' Ha, according to our middle school girls at least. And, well, boys too. Although they are reluctant to admit their excitedness at first, all it takes is a few minutes of the girls oogling at the pictures before the boys inevitably insist on seeing as well. From that point it's not long until they too declare us the luckiest teachers ever. . . yeah, we know, thanks!

BIG BANG!!!

While the whole Big Bang ordeal lasted no more than 45 minutes from the time we started waiting, we were exhausted by the time we escaped the scene. So, in order to kick back, relax and celebrate a successful day of shooting, we headed towards Itaewon where we were lucky enough to catch Beef and the Penetrators' final show at Woodstock! Though the horn section was AWOL and the crowd was lifeless, I'm darn glad we made it for their final rendition of. . .well, if you know you know, if you don't, sorry!

Beef and the Penetrators: Final Act

We took a break from filming on Sunday while I spent the day kicking the crap out of the Han River Harriers, our supposed "A" team in the Han River club. There's nothing like beating the 'big boys' at their own game two weeks in a row. Though I didn't find a chance to score this week, I held down a solid place in the back where we allowed only one goal, off of a penalty kick that, no, I did not cause!

Oh, and for the record. . .for all you 35 year old English men out there who find it necessary to throw punches at not one, but two Koreans that you're not just playing against but have, only a few weeks ago, played with. . .well, we have a name for you in America and I believe it's along the lines of P.A.B (figure it out yourself and pardon my language, please). . .but seriously, smashing the face of a kid whose ten years younger than you in to the ground while playing a friendly match. . .well, it makes it clear why you have no friends left on your little northern island and had to come to Korea to find someone to love you. . .by the way. . .she roller blades in circles like a young deer on ice. . .you think that's cute?! Oh, excuse me, I'll stop now.

Nate and I resumed filming Wednesday morning as we dragged ourselves out of bed unusually early to head up the side of Mt. Bulam. The original plan was to film a shot from the summit to demonstrate my adventurous nature though, it was apparent upon leaving that a shot from the top would likely yield nothing close to stunning as the summit was steeped in fog. Even so, we decided to push on as we had already gotten out of bed! Not the greatest of motivations but it works! We followed a fellow hiker down the street to enter the mountain by a different trail head that seemed to cut a great deal of time off our hike! We managed to make it up in just about an hour 'n a half. . .compared to last time where it must have taken us at least double that!

Headed up the 'new' trail

Buddhas for Sale!

Though I didn't get the epic summit shot we hoped for, we managed to film a couple clips along the way that will certainly do for conveying the sense of adventuring a la mountain climbing! But yes, of course, we still summited! Who do you think we are, a bunch of lazy English teachers!?

"Hi Mom" -Nate

Glacial Explorations on Bulamsan

Back at school Wednesday evening Nate joined my first class to shoot a few more seconds of the 'script.' While it didn't take very long, it was evident that the surrounding teachers, and more so, my current teacher, Terry, were not too pleased about the distraction. Nevertheless, I had promised my students for weeks that they would be in the video, both because they wanted to be and well I wanted them to be! Unfortunately, this is where the story turns sour as I was uploading the videos a few minutes ago and managed to erase the one (of a few dozen) that I actually needed. . .thus, we'll be going for a re-shoot tomorrow morning! Sorry in advance teachers! Thank you for your patience!

Thursday morning we continued filming, this time headed towards Itaewon as I had a revelation the night before. Why I didn't think of this sooner I don't know but sometime in the course of lying awake at night it occurred to me that there are big 'Hamilton' signs all over Itaewon advertising the Hamilton Hotel. Sure, they don't say Hamilton Island but it's the name recognition I'm going for, not accuracy!

So, down to Line 6 we went. Not only did I get a good shot (though the lighting is terrible as you'll soon see as I've vowed to post my completed application, if it is ever in fact completed) but we pounded down an excellent lunch of none other than, Pad Thai! Pondering our lunch options it didn't take long for me to point us in the direction of My Thai, one of the remaining Thais joints that we had yet to try. Of course I needn't look at a menu as my order had already been decided last June while traveling the Land of Smiles with Stef. . .if you don't know this story well. . .check the history books. . .I've eaten a lot of Pad Thai!

Anyways, for 11,000 won it sure hit the spot. The whole fried egg on top was a bit different as it's normally mixed in but otherwise the flavor was superb. Heavy on the fish sauce but not over powering. Lemon not lime, but, it'll do. Chili powder instead of peppered vinegar. . .eh, not biggie, but I could've used the extra tang. Delicious chicken and a hearty portion of ground peanuts to boot. Seoul Ranking. . .tied for second with Buddah Belly. . .what it lacked in flavor it certainly made up for in portion!

So, there you have it! It's now Thursday night, I'm an hour past my 'bedtime,' and yet hours from falling asleep. While Roy and Jay have already left for Shanghai I have another day of work to put in before taking off. . .oh yeah, did I mention I'm going to China on Satuday?! As Nate noted this evening, that would be such a big deal in the States but now that we're already 'here,' well, I mean, it's just going to China, not like it's the Philippines or anything! Strange how perspectives can be so easily skewed!

Thanks for reading. . .likely no updates to come for the next week as I'll be off to mainland Asia. . .as for the video, while, it's either done before I return or it ain't gettin' done!

For those Stateside, I wish you a Happy Carnival and hope that you are celebrating appropriately. . .whether it's paczkis or king cake, please make sure you're over eating, over dancing, and well, if your in the Naw', over heating!

Climbing Bulamsan

This past Saturday morning Nate and I set out in full hiking gear to conquer our neighborhood mountain, Bulamsan.

Although I gaze at this gentle giant each day from my icebox of a Native Room, I have yet to tackle more than the first hundred meters of trail leading up her side. Even this I only did once, in search of a bit of solace from the uber-urban Eunang intersection. While Nate has summited once before, getting lost on his way back down proved that his knowledge of the mountain was far from complete.

Putting on enough layers to battle the Siberian winds we anticipated encountering, I made to sure to leave no room for the elements to get close. Luckily, my heavy hiker Smart Wool socks were just thick enough to almost keep my foot from sliding around in my half size too big boots that I refused to let my parents take back to the States after waiting so long to get them!

A couple hundred yards down the street we veered right behind the post office and set off towards the mountain. The first part of the trail was almost entirely uninhabited as we followed a winding dirt path up through a heavily wooded foot hill. The only person of note that we encountered was a man making our same trek at half the speed, presumably due to the stack of five meter boards he delicately balanced on one shoulder. A further up the hill and we found the pagoda-in-process that was likely to be the boards' final destination. While it wasn't incredibly far, it sure was a long way to haul supplies by foot. . .and shoulder!

Though paths veered off in every which direction, we continued climbing steadily until reaching a very distinct intersection. The path to the left led to a small lookout over Junggye where I once sat pretending that I had the self control to meditate. This would go well for about a minute until my curiosity overtook my patience and I would open an eye, just one, to peak around for a bit before returning to the dark. I rinsed and repeated this process for about 15 minutes until I decided I was better off bringing a book next time. . .haven't been back since!

As the only other hiker in sight took off for a dirt trail to the right, Nate pointed us straight ahead following a rocky path that soon turned in to rocky stairs. While at first it simply appeared to be the rough way up, I realized that the mass amount of seemingly natural rocks were in fact at one point intentionally placed in the shape of a path, and, eventually stairs.

Rocky Road

As Nate barrelled ahead I began to wonder if he was super determined at losing me on the mountain or if he had munched one hell of a Korean power breakfast. Turned out he knew that there was a pretty good look out (read, rest area) just a little ways ahead! Phew, I was thinking we'd be running straight up to the summit the way he was moving!

Where the rocky road leveled out we were treated to quite a view over the greater Junggye/Nowon area. Marked by two stone mounds on either side, I can only imagine that this lookout holds some significance to someone somewhere for some reason. . . .either that or they were just left over rocks that never made it on to the trail. Either way, it was a great place to catch our breath and grab a couple snapshots.

Mounds of Fun

Junggyedong

Ready to Rock

Continuing our climb, the trail beneath or feet slowly changed back into leaf covered dirt. Seems as though the higher we got, the bigger the rocks became. Eventually they were just too darn big for anybody to make a path out of. . .so, I took their picture instead.

Rock Steady

Not entirely sure where to go, we ended up getting stuck for a moment at a particularly interesting rock. Nate thought he remembered being lost at this same point and someone pointing for him to go up and over. So, he began climbing. Turns out, that was definitely not the way as he was quickly back on solid ground and we were off marching in another direction.

How does one not know the way 'up' a mountain you ask? Well, there ain't exactly a direct route, ya hear!? From what we considered the main trail, there are dozens of smaller paths snaking off in every direction, some that often appear just as 'main' as the one we were following. To make matters even trickier, every few minutes we'd look up to see another hiker ambling through the woods where it looked as though no human belonged. . .should we be following them!?

Holy Rock!

(There're a lot of pics here which means creative subtitles will likely start to go down hill)

As the woods closed in around us I began to feel like I had been here before, when all of a sudden. . .

No, just kidding, I mean, it did feel a bit like Whitehills Woods, although the grade of the path assured me it was not.

Frozen stream. . .it was not warm outside, I'll tell ya that!

Stepping into a small clearing Nate grew excited at what he recognized as the infamous rock face that I had heard so much about. Now apparently the first time Nate climbed Bulmansan he wound up at this same spot but in the presence of a good number of other hikers. Trying in vain to get solid enough footing to make it up the front of the rock face, Nate noted dozens of other hikers simply standing up and walking past him. Of note was the couple who watched him struggling while the man kindly pointed out that 'even she can do it.'

As Nate always said to me, 'the pictures don't really do it justice.' While this face may not seem that menacing, we both found it simply impossible to conquer outright. I didn't have the privilege of being embarrassed by throngs of Korean hikers but I did get a good appreciation for their ability as I too tried walking up this rock and didn't make it more than six feet before sliding down backwards! To be honest, we might have been able to make it up had the fear of sliding down not been to present. It's simply not a pleasant feeling to be groping at rock as it slides by your face, not knowing when you're foot breaks will decide to kick in and stop you!

That's one mean face!

Climbing Bulamsan
Part 1: Facing Reality

Well after a couple attempts each we both conceded that there was no way either of us was getting up the front of that rock. The only problem. . .we had to get at least half way up to pick up the trail that led onwards. So, down on all fours I went! Well, not quite, it ended up being more of a bear crawl that helped me up but in the end, I got to where we needed to be. It was at this point that I decided wearing flip up mittens was a bad idea! Sure they keep your hand warm but when you need grip it's either that of a mitten-ed hand or that of my bare expose fingertips. . .needless to say, my fingers took quite a beating and I'll be laying off the guitar for a few days while they heal!

Bear Crawling

Made it to a plateau!

Climbing Bulamsan
Part 2: The Plateau

Well, we tried to make it up a bit further and did in fact get a little higher. Nate even showed me a small ridge where a family of three shimmied up towards the top of this face. Somehow, he managed to convince me to try it out too! I got about 10 feet or so up it before I decided that any further would certainly seal my death once I started to slide back down (which felt inevitable). Thus, I began the terrifying journey back down the ridge backwards. This is not nearly as easy as it sounds or seems. Trying to lodge my feet in a tiny crack while not being able to look back enough to see them was not too pleasant. . .sliding down the last few feet I found solid ground again and we took off for the far side of the rock.

Just under the plateau where we caught some rest runs a ridgeline that takes you to the opposite side of the rock where the path again picks up. So, we followed it! I'm sure it would end up saving time if we found a way up and over but, for now, I'm totally satisfied with taking the safe way out. . .maybe next time I'll give it a go. . .though I can't imagine why I'd try!

That which we left untamed. . .

Before deserting the face entirely however, I was able to grab at least one decent shot over looking what I believe would be towards Nowon Station. We would have been able to see a lot further had the sky not been so smoggy. It hasn't precipitated at all here for at least a couple weeks which means the air is ripe with pollution. Though it's hard to describe how gross it looks, take a gander at the 'sky' just above the mountains in the picture below. What should be a bright blue (as there wasn't a hint of could, or moisture, in the air) is hardly distinguishable from the dirt grey of the high rises below it. . . this can't be good to breath each day!

Can you say 'Smog?'

While the air off in the distance was nothing to sit and stare at, the immediate scenery was quite impressive! It sure felt great to be up and out of the city, especially on such a nice day (albeit freezing cold). The two pictures below should shed a drop of light on the mountain's beauty. What's also nice is that I needn't ever have to work at framing unsightly objects out of the shot. The entire mountainside was pristine and clutter free. Perhaps due to Koreans viewing mountains and hills with a sort of religious purity. This is extends to the point where it's frowned upon even to smoke on a hillside, which, in Korea, says quite a bit. . .

All Natural

Ooooommmmmm. . .Ooooommmmmm

As we neared the top of the first climb (Nate informed me that what we end up doing is climbing one mountain, dip down, then climb the final peak to Bulamsan's summit) we took another breather on top of a huge boulder perched delicately over a huge drop off. This appeared to be the thing to do as other hikers, whose numbers steadily increased as we climbed, plopped down on rocks all around to chat, stretch and refuel. We didn't hang out for too long though as our dangling position made neither one of us feel all that comfortable! Check it out. . .

Hanging Out

Climbing Bulamsan
Part 3: Cliff Hangin'

Before turning back to the trail I grabbed another couple shots of the city below as the sun's angle highlighted the absurd tessellation of residential high rises below. Realize that those buildings below, lined up like dominoes, are actually 15+ story buildings that house thousands and thousands of people. . .it's likely that the majority of my students' residences are contained within this shot. . .

Dominoes

Here we have an up close shot of DYB Junggye branch. Sorry for the haze but I'm zoomed in 12x here! If you start at the bottom, directly in the middle of the picture and slowly move up, you'll come to a white-ish building with what appears to be a triangular roof. The building immediately behind that one, and just ever so slightly to the left, is DYB, the top floor being our Native Room. The building itself looks like a 'V' with a flattened point facing towards the bottom of the picture. . . not that it matters, but, two points to you if you can spot it!

DYB Junggye Branch

Oh boy, now we're getting close to the top of the first 'hill,' which is what you primarily see when looking out from the Native Room.

Razor wire?! Looks like they don't want you going that way!

Couldn't tell ya what it says but at least we made it to the top. . . of the first part! Actually the bottom hanging sign says something about Bulamsan. . .but that's all I can decipher.

Finally arriving at Base Camp II* we decided to plop down for some water and snacks. . .I was just about ready to dive in to my emergency Pocari Sweat (see Climbing Bulamsan, Pt. 1) so it was a good thing we came across the Base Camp II Diner*. While water satisfied our thirst, an hour or so of hiking had put quite a dent in my early morning cheese rabokki. So, Nate and I decided to split an order of snacks. . .well, kinda. We ordered up a bottle of makoli (a super sweet but ultra delectable low proof rice wine) as we new it would be accompanied by snacks, having first been exposed to this Korean hiking treat while wandering the slopes of Namhansamseong.

Grubbing at Base Camp II Diner


Climbing Bulamsan
Part 4: Base Camp II

Mid-mountaing Makoli Munchies

Part way up the first mountain I questioned Nate as to whether there would be a place to buy water up ahead. He reassured me that, yes, there would be. I inquired as to how someone would get water this far up the trail and brushed off his response about a heli-pad as a sarcastic remark. Well, looks like I should have paid closer attention to what he was saying!

Base Camp II Helipad

After finishing our snack we put away the rest of the makoli (which apparently, after a good deal of searching, wikipedia spells both makkoli and makgeolli) and hopped up to keep moving. Even in our short break I cooled off quite a bit as the sweat I had accumulated throughout my body quickly began evaporating into the dry icy air! Yes, I know I should do a better job of regulating body temperature but my primary thought when setting out from Dootvill in the morning was retaining warmth, not water!

Moving past the encampent we were forced to head downhill as Nate had suggested. Though it felt a bit counter productive, it sure was fun to get a running start and just leap down the trail ahead. . .though I can't imagine it being the safest thing in the world to do. . .as we would eventually learn. As the path bottomed out the trees opened up offering me a nice shot of Bulamsan's summit before we moved too close to see the peak.

On our way!

A little ways on we were back even with BCII and able to look out towards where we had come from. Though the sun was a bit blinding, it was nice to see the progress we had made!

Back even with Base Camp II

A bit higher up the final peak we came to the final shelter: Summit Base Camp*. Warned by Nate about the narrowing path ahead, we paused only long enough to grab a photo, not wanting to get stuck behind a heard of hikers who were close on our tail.

Summit Base Camp

From SBC we immediately came to a line of enormous boulders on which no 'correct' path was laid out. Whether is was the presence of other climbers around or simply a few hours getting used to our footing I can't say but we managed to make our way up those rocks without having to resort to the tried and true bear crawl that was so neccessary earlier in the day!

Boulders? No Problem!

Bouldering!

After a fun run upwards the boulders eventually evened out to smoothe stone that again turned quickly verticle. This time however the rocks were much steeper and offered no real opportunity to bound accross. Instead, a series of ropes were mounted into the rock with steel poles that offered climbers the only means upwards. If anyone was able to get past this point without the ropes I sure didn't see it!

Roping it in. . .

After the rope section the mountain again flattens out, but only for a moment. Nate took the time to point out Camp Charlie* as I snuck in a candid shot of our fearless leader.

Look, Over There!

A bit higher and even the trees began to lean into the mountainside for support!

Lopsided

"Now here's where you actually have to climb," Nate warned me. Not that I wasn't already a bit shaken up by the Korean couple who had passed us on the way down warning us to be careful for the final ascent was 'very dangerous.' Oh, well, thanks for the confidence!

Anyways, I flipped over my mittens, dug my already sore finger tips in to rock and began the climb up the Final Assault*.

The Final Assault

Getting Close!

After a bit of verticle climbing and a few meters of bouldering, we made it to the top! Not of course before leaping from one rock to another pitched at a steep angle that dropped off to a ravine below! The final climb, as you'll shortly see, involves a relatively simple, but nonetheless scary, hand over hand maneuver up a small face with a miraculously convenient finger crack. It seems a lot harder when you do then when the 12 year old boy right behind you does it. How he got there in the first place though is simply beyond me!

But, as I told you, we did eventually summit at 507 meters!

V for Vicory!

Looking down off the summit towards Camp Charlie



Climbing Bulamsan
Part 5: Summit (Take One)

Nate made it too!

Climbing Bulamsan
Part 5: Summit (Take Two)

Geting ready to billy goat from rock to rock like a true Korean hiker!

When we could no longer feel our noses or toes at the summit, we decided to head back down. Having come all this way we decided that we should at least check out Camp Charlie before turning our attention towards the decent. On the way over to CC however I stopped to offer my services as a photographer for a group that had posed on the rock that we stand in front of below. The woman who was taking the picture readily agreed and hoped in with the two men she had been photographing.

No sooner had I taken their picture did she then usher Nate and I into the shot with her buddies. From there, one of the buddies insisted on taking a picture while she joined us. This went on for at least a couple minutes and everybody rotated turns taking pictures and posing with the foreingers. As long as we were in a photo shoot I decided to toss my camera out there and we landed the blow shot of us and two friendly hikers. . .didn't catch anything about them but there sure seemed nice!

Making Friends

At Camp Charlie Nate took the opportunity to relieve himself while I surveyed the vastness of Northern Seoul. . . as indicated in Climbing Bulamsan, Pt. 3, we really are at the northern tip of the city as there isn't much out there beyond us. Not quite ready to turn down yet we popped a squat for another makoli break.

Bulamsan Summit from Camp Charlie

Properally refueled, in the Korean fashion, we turned our attention towards getting off the mountain before sundown. Not wanting to deal with having to go back up and over Base Camp II, we decided to just shoot down the center of Galt's Gulch*, the seemingly most direct way. With two older women leading the way down, Nate and I alternated between running and jumping down the flatter parts while creeping cautiously down the inclines. As you could imagine, we blew past our decsent team while running and were subsequently passed every time extreme traction was required. It really is fascinating how Koreans just stick to the side of these mountains like it's nothing!

Climbing Bulamsan
Part 6: The Decsent

We did stop at one point to enjoy the setting sun over Nowon. This pleasure didn't last long however as Nate slipped on the final grade and managed to slice a good chuck off the tip of a finger on his way down. Of course he had only just removed his gloves exposing the skin that was otherwise protected throughout the day. Oh well, lesson learned, we'll bring a portable first aid kit that I have left over from Ghana next time!

Rockin' the Sunset

Shadows are growing longer. . .

Despite the minor mishap on the final leg, we both made it down fine and Galt's Gulch ended up shooting us out just before Sanggye Station. A brisk ten minute walk got us back to Dootavill where I retired for a halfhour hot shower before working up the energy to make it downstairs for dinner.

All 'n all it was a great way to spend a day! Racked up a number of excercise, nature and culture points all in one day. To top it all off I slept like a baby afterwards, although I still ache a bit and it's already mid week! Not sure if I'll be headed back up any time soon though I'd like to make it a few more times before I leave. . .then again, I might just need a shot for my application for the 'best job in the world,' . . . but that's a story for another day!

Bulamsan, Check!


*All nomenclature used to describe stops, eateries, camps and the like are wholly the product of our imagine. While they might be fictional however, I strongly suggest that the city of Seoul look into adopting such labels and posting them in a multitude of languages so that international photojournalists may have a consensus as to where they visited.