The sun has broke through the clouds~ the snow has disappeared and the ground is drying up. The bicycle is back on the road and windows are creeping open!
With all the excitement for the arrival of spring like weather, I want to hop back a bit to reminisce about what the snow had to offer in Korea (and finish with a hope that no more snow appears! :p )
Taebaek Mountain held its 17th annual Snow Festival~ I joined forces with a group of my favorite climbing mates and we set off for the mountains. The bus lacked a noraebang system which was a huge let down to this group, although we tried to make up for it with a painful a cappella session. This providence is know for its switchback roads wrapping through the mountains.
The festival was a good excuse to get friends together~ but the entertainment provided was lacking. We wasted away the afternoon having a photo-shoot amongst the massive ice sculptures. Then we watched kids nearly die going down the ice sled on plastic bags, and slipped around in the ice cafe.
Alan and I decided it was time to give up on the festival and trek up the mountain. Finally we found the snow (which was lacking in developed area of Taebaek) The trail was snow covered and peaceful. An easy going trail had an added level of difficulty in certain areas that was a thick frozen ice path. In it's beauty, Koreans wanted to take photos on the ice sheet. Three men decided to sit on there bums, crampons no longer gripping them to the ice. Sliding down the mountain with looks of such surprise made for a worthy snapshot, and a good laugh.
The BBQ style grub was a tasty highlight of the festival. We snacked on some grilled kimchi wrapped in cabbage pancake. Sweet potatoes were roasted over open fire, and outside, a young guy was pounding the rice down to the gooey constancy that was used to make rice cakes.
Snow Day
Lunar New Year
A long weekend for the Lunar New Year was the perfect excuse to get out and hit the Korean slopes while all the Koreans were committed to returning to their hometown for the holiday. The resort had a equal proportion of Koreans to foreigners. A group of 50 was arranged by my recruiter. We joined early in the morning and made bonds while cruising down the beautiful mountain with fresh snow. My ski partner, Christine, and I were able to sneak onto the Gondola which brought us up 1400 M to Dragon Peak. The trail down meandered along the mountain with picturesque views of the surrounding topography. We skied the 5,600M long “Rainbow Paradise” again and again, never tiring of its beauty. The other side of the mountain, “Gold Peak”, was equally as beautiful with more Black Diamond challenges that we took on bravely.
The resort held everything you need for the weekend. You can rent everything from skis/boards to snow pants. We spent our days skiing and our nights the in norae-bang and bowling. They have a variety of restaurants and coffee shops, a spa, shopping, and even a water park~
I turned 24 while whisking down the beautiful snow covered sloped of Yongpyong. The weekend had great conditions for skiing, making new friends, and celebrating a birthday!
Hwang-sik, you don't worry anymore. Winter is over, this won't happen again 'til next year ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment