kokeb - blog

The Daechongbong, the peak of Seoraksan, is famous for outstanding beauty with flowers and plants all around. Especially, the autumn season, showing off colorful maples, attracts most of Korean and travelers from overseas. Then, what if at a cold day in winter?

The severity from harsh wind and low temperature was far more than I expected upon our departure for Seoraksan from Seoul. Sensible temperature at the peak marked, at most, -50 degree in Celsius whereas thermometer reads around -26 and wind travels in 16 meter per second. Nobody there could keep standing a second with strong wind. I could manage to move on with the help of rope along the pathway at earthworm speed. I was so scared because failing in rope grasp might have led me to fall down to cliff.

After all, I got to a shelter at the foot of the peak suffering from frostbite on my left cheek, thumb sized area directly exposed to wind. Anyway, I survived extremity. You can imagine how harsh wind was by checking out audio clip that I captured at the waist of Seoraksan, not at the peak. :-( At the peak? It's up to your imagination!