Misty Mountain Hopping

             It was my birthday weekend and rather than celebrating with yet another blasé night out at the bars, I instead took a road trip to the southern tip of the Korean peninsula. For two weeks a year the cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Korea and the Cherry Blossom Festival in Jinhae is the best place to see them, so I’m told.

 But first, we had a 5+ hour hiking trip on Jagged Ridge Island planned for Saturday. Sarah, my travel companion and fellow English teacher at my school, was decked out in brand new Merrels which made me ache for my own pair that I foolishly left behind in Canada. The island featured a series of connected mountains which formed a zig-zagging continuum of jagged peaks. After an hour and a half we reached the first peak (the highest, at 400m) and the rest of the hike became an up and down affair – down a short ways from the current mountain top and up quickly again to the next. We took our time and rested often to snack, take pictures and gush at the views. From our height we could nearly take in the island’s entire circumference; looking out into the East China Sea showed yet more mountainous, but smaller islands. We quickly made friends – the trail was full of dozens of foreigners as well as Koreans who are big time hikers – and a fellow named Ernie from San Francisco fell in with us. He had quite a magnetic personality and a healthy appetite for women (fortuitous!) as well as a knowledge of everything from politics and history to flora and mathematics. 

 

Initially we were getting tired and our legs burned, but after the first hour of hiking the pain disappeared and we felt as though we could hike forever. Meanwhile, Ernie and I, under the instinctual influence of that machismo/daredevil affect which some males inspire in one another, began climbing more offbeat areas that promised to get your adrenaline pumping but also kill or seriously injure you if you slipped. We climbed up one ridge and on the other side it went straight down 90 degrees. We hesitated at first but some Koreans across the way shouted that it was indeed doable. Ernie lowered himself down first and found enough ledges to grip his way down the 25feet or so. I followed after and felt my heart pumping hard. At one point I had to hug a wall and support all my weight with my arms in this way so that I could lower my legs to the next platform. But I made it! A fellow foreigner, Will, followed soon after but was worse for the wear with bloody knees and arms. 

 

The next challenge was a rope ladder which went straight up about 45feet. We were at the bottom and wondering what was up there, but unfortunately there was a steady stream of hikers coming down the ladder and thus blocking us. My curiosity unabated, I searched and found a way up. Right next to the ladder was a thick rope which went all the way to the top and, sensibly, was unoccupied. Without a second thought I looked at Ernie and said we should go up with that instead. He quickly agreed. I grabbed on and began walking up the wall and climbing the rope with my arms. The Koreans next to me seemed a little perplexed as they passed me heading down. The climb up was thrilling and I blazed up the wall confidently. Coming down however, via the rope ladder, was a much different story. This was the stiffest test to my nerves yet. I’m not sure why my mind fears going down so much more than up, but I really took my time here and made sure of my footing. I kept telling myself that with every step the fall would be slightly less injurious. 

 

On Sunday we took in the Cherry Blossom Festival. There’s not a whole lot to say about it. As promised the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and simply gorgeous. The trees lined the roads which were closed to car traffic and instead occupied by long lines of food, souvenir and carnival game vendors. We visited a Naval Museum which featured a Korean “Turtle Ship”, a replica of the type of ship which repulsed a Japanese invasion of Korea in the 16^th century. It was a very pleasant day but not a lot to write home about. Pictures will be up very soon!