This week's hike: Baekyangsan. This mountain forms the semi-circular rim of Children's Park in central Busan.  The hike to the top is moderately strenuous and should take about five hours round trip including a nice long lunch break. After the hike we will eat dinner at one of the many fine traditional Korean restaurants near the park.

The hike will begin at 10AM at the entrance to Children's Park. This is a very popular starting point for hiking groups so plan to see lots of other climbers preparing to depart. In the entrance to the park is a huge cubical stainless steel sculpture surrounding a smaller white cube covered with children's cartoon characters like Winnie the Pooh. We will meet here. Children's Park is a short taxi ride from Seomyeon or take bus 63 from the bus stop outside exit 13 (walk straight out the exit and turn the corner. The cluster of bus stops is just past the 7-11).

This hike is fairly easy with mostly gradual accents and we will take lots of breaks. Bring a small lunch and at least one liter of water. If you don't feel like packing a meal there are plenty of offerings outside the entrance to the park, including sliced pork, fried chicken, and, of course, kimbab. I usually bring a couple pieces of fruit and a little candy (energy) but you can bring whatever you want. As I said, after the hike we will eat some dinner and laugh about our wonderful experiences. We will split the cost of the dinner so budget approximately W10000 for that, otherwise this event is completely free.

My name is Joe and I am a long time Busan resident and avid hiker. I have a pretty good knowledge of the city's mountains and we will not get lost. If you have any questions or want to RSVP (please do) feel free to email me at [email protected].