Seoul is a breath of fresh air

Even when you’re spending your semester abroad an ocean away, headache-inducing responsibilities like figuring out housing for the next year will follow you around. Luckily enough, I’m spending my time in the heart of Seoul. In what seems rare for a city that has achieved its level of urbanization, Seoul is surrounded by hills and mountains, many offering convenient escapes from the rush of city life. One such convenient site is Gwanak-san, which lies right behind Seoul National University, a short subway and bus-ride from Yonsei University.

Wanting to get some fresh air, I set out for an exploratory hike at Gwanak-san (which translates to Gwanak Mountain) with my roommate. It turned out that we weren’t the only people with the idea in mind. While I wasn’t entirely certain about how to get to Gwanak-san and which routes to take, a stream of people visibly prepared to go hiking greeted my roommate and I as we got off our subway train and made our way to the street. When in doubt, following the crowd isn’t necessarily a bad way to start.

Hiking culture is popular in Seoul and you can tell by the way people are outfitted – head to toe in apparel specifically designed for hiking, as well as outdoor backpacks that appear to be stuffed. As my roommate and I progress on our hike, the contents of the backpacks are revealed to most likely be food. While hiking in Korea is a way to exercise and maybe let off any pent-up frustrations stemming from city life, it’s also a way to gather with old friends and share a good time with them by stopping at an appropriately cleared area and spreading out a picnic. Also, once you hike up far enough, you can observe Seoul’s metropolitan sprawl through the fog — not necessarily pretty, but the city views are impressive.

I find it worth noting that most people out at Gwanak-san that day were older, maybe around the same age as your parents or even grandparents, but I also saw a few college couples, as well as parents with children. Sure, hiking isn’t the hip thing to do in a city like Seoul, but nature doesn’t fail to attract admirers, young or old. Spending a few hours on the trails of Gwanak-san gave me but a taste of what the mountains of Seoul have to offer, and I can’t wait to continue exploring throughout the rest of my weekends.