By Laura Teague

This has to be one of my favourite walks so far. The first part of Course 3 was something of a let down, all the road walking and not too many hidden sights. So it was with slight reluctance that we continued the following week, expecting more of the same city walking.

This takes you through some of the more natural sights of Eomgwangsan. Its strenuous hill or stair walking in parts, but mostly it’s easy flat path walking. It’s only about 8 km but takes about 4 hours, including the hill walking parts and a few snack breaks! (And getting lost and re-routing a few times…)

So, start at Busanjin Market (directions below) when you are in front of the market (the official entrance is up on the overpass. Here you’ll find the usual Galmaetgil markers. You’re looking for one of the pink and blue flyers that are attached to trees and lampposts, the yellow round signs spray-painted onto the floor or wooden signposts that occasionally dot the streets. There’s an excellent foodcourt on the basement floor and some really cute little hanbok shops too. It’s a great place for souvenirs and such, or just a browse around.

When you’re finished in the market, head out of the main door, and follow the Galmaetgil signs around the side of the market, through the market streets and over the bridge going over the railway. Follow the signs for the Galmaetgil along Jwacheon Furniture Street and this will take you past exit 8 to Jwacheon subway, after this, the path takes you across the main road. From here, the path winds and changes direction frequently, so keep an eye out for the signs. This road eventually takes you up the hill, past a temple, a Women’s school, a large allotment field with a photo zone over the city, you’ll then wind up through a large apartment block, past the badminton courts and on the edge of the apartment block’s park.

The path then overlooks Seoymeon, you can see the Lotte Hotel, the path circles around and you follow the road for a while. Then you’ll come across a sign that indicates you can leave the Galmaetgil path, and follow the ‘Sing sing 테마로드’. From here, you want to go up the hill on the Sing Sing path, and leave the Galmaetgil trail. Take the left road at the first fork you come to, and then right at the second fork, keep heading up until you reach the paved Sing Sing path. From here, there are several different paths you can take through the forests and mountain. You need to head for 금수사 (Geum soo sa) Or Geum Soo temple. If you aren’t sure, most of the other hikers seem to know where it is and so can direct you if you ask them, most people are really friendly.

We stayed on the path that runs along the edge of the residential area, and the edge of the forest, on the ‘Sing sing’ path. You’ll know you’re still on the path by the painted streetlamps that follow the path and have ‘씽씽’ written on the post.

About an hour along this path, you’ll come to a large open area, at the bottom of the hill there is a main road, up the hill there is a long walkway with a handrail running alongside. Down the hill slightly to the left there is a temple, and down the hill slightly to the right is a Korean outdoor gym area. After exploring the area, go to the Korean gym area, either path, to the left or the right will take you along the Sing Sing path.

Not long after this is another open area, you’ll come across a car park to your left, and a construction site on your right. Just keep heading past the car park and you’ll reach a wooden deck area that is the Sing Sing path. Not far past here are some amazing cherry blossom trees that are well worth a break in.

Suddenly, the Sing sing path will end, and you will find yourself on a tarmac road, with a temple right in front of you, head up the hill to the right and above this temple. You’re almost there now! When you come to a small clearning with no clear signposts, head behind the guard hut and there is a small boot cleaning station, the path runs up the hill into the forest and down the hill to금수사 you’ve made it! From here you can also see Democracy park on the hill in front of you.

From금수사  you can walk to Busan Station in about twenty minutes. Just follow the hill down to the main road, cross over the road, and you are back on the Galmaetgil path. Turn right and then immediately left to go down the hill and just follow the galmaetgil signs, they wind a little when you reach Choryang market, so just keep an eye out, but if you loose the signs, you are so close to Busan station that it’s easy to find your way.

Here’s a link to the walk online (roughly, some parts were hard to map in the forest) :http://www.mapmywalk.com/routes/view/186776664

Happy Walking!

This has to be one of my favourite walks so far. The first part of Course 3 was something of a let down, all the road walking and not too many hidden sights. So it was with slight reluctance that we continued the following week, expecting more of the same city walking.

This takes you through some of the more natural sights of Eomgwangsan. Its strenuous hill or stair walking in parts, but mostly it’s easy flat path walking. It’s only about 8 km but takes about 4 hours, including the hill walking parts and a few snack breaks! (And getting lost and re-routing a few times…)

So, start at Busanjin Market (directions below) when you are in front of the market (the official entrance is up on the overpass. Here you’ll find the usual Galmaetgil markers. You’re looking for one of the pink and blue flyers that are attached to trees and lampposts, the yellow round signs spray-painted onto the floor or wooden signposts that occasionally dot the streets. There’s an excellent foodcourt on the basement floor and some really cute little hanbok shops too. It’s a great place for souvenirs and such, or just a browse around.

When you’re finished in the market, head out of the main door, and follow the Galmaetgil signs around the side of the market, through the market streets and over the bridge going over the railway. Follow the signs for the Galmaetgil along Jwacheon Furniture Street and this will take you past exit 8 to Jwacheon subway, after this, the path takes you across the main road. From here, the path winds and changes direction frequently, so keep an eye out for the signs. This road eventually takes you up the hill, past a temple, a Women’s school, a large allotment field with a photo zone over the city, you’ll then wind up through a large apartment block, past the badminton courts and on the edge of the apartment block’s park.

The path then overlooks Seoymeon, you can see the Lotte Hotel, the path circles around and you follow the road for a while. Then you’ll come across a sign that indicates you can leave the Galmaetgil path, and follow the ‘Sing sing 테마로드’. From here, you want to go up the hill on the Sing Sing path, and leave the Galmaetgil trail. Take the left road at the first fork you come to, and then right at the second fork, keep heading up until you reach the paved Sing Sing path. From here, there are several different paths you can take through the forests and mountain. You need to head for 금수사 (Geum soo sa) Or Geum Soo temple. If you aren’t sure, most of the other hikers seem to know where it is and so can direct you if you ask them, most people are really friendly.

We stayed on the path that runs along the edge of the residential area, and the edge of the forest, on the ‘Sing sing’ path. You’ll know you’re still on the path by the painted streetlamps that follow the path and have ‘씽씽’ written on the post.

About an hour along this path, you’ll come to a large open area, at the bottom of the hill there is a main road, up the hill there is a long walkway with a handrail running alongside. Down the hill slightly to the left there is a temple, and down the hill slightly to the right is a Korean outdoor gym area. After exploring the area, go to the Korean gym area, either path, to the left or the right will take you along the Sing Sing path.

Not long after this is another open area, you’ll come across a car park to your left, and a construction site on your right. Just keep heading past the car park and you’ll reach a wooden deck area that is the Sing Sing path. Not far past here are some amazing cherry blossom trees that are well worth a break in.

Suddenly, the Sing sing path will end, and you will find yourself on a tarmac road, with a temple right in front of you, head up the hill to the right and above this temple. You’re almost there now! When you come to a small clearning with no clear signposts, head behind the guard hut and there is a small boot cleaning station, the path runs up the hill into the forest and down the hill to금수사 you’ve made it! From here you can also see Democracy park on the hill in front of you.

From금수사  you can walk to Busan Station in about twenty minutes. Just follow the hill down to the main road, cross over the road, and you are back on the Galmaetgil path. Turn right and then immediately left to go down the hill and just follow the galmaetgil signs, they wind a little when you reach Choryang market, so just keep an eye out, but if you loose the signs, you are so close to Busan station that it’s easy to find your way.

Here’s a link to the walk online (roughly, some parts were hard to map in the forest) :http://www.mapmywalk.com/routes/view/186776664

Happy Walking!

By Laura Teague

Directions. The start of the walk is at Busanjin Market. To get here, the nearest subway station is Jwacheon, on the Orange Line. Take exit 8, walk straight along Furniture street, when there is a road that leads off to the right, take that and go over the railway tracks, at the other side, walk straight through the shops about 200m and when you reach the main road, turn left, follow this to the big market building, take the first road overpass that you come to, this is where the walk starts.

To get home: the walk finishes at Busan Station, so just hop on the subway!

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