Hiking up or around 1950m Hallasan, South Korea’s highest peak, is worth the effort. The densely wooded dormant volcano, the world’s only habitat for Korean firs, is beautiful throughout the seasons, with hillsides of flowering azaleas in April and May being a particularly notable sight. If you’re lucky, you might spot deer. Be prepared for sudden weather changes and winter snow.
On Hallasan, refreshments are available at the Jindallaebat shelter (1500m) on the Seongpanak trail and at the Witse Oreum shelter (1700m), the meeting point of the Eorimok , Yeongsil and Donnaeko trails. Shelters are for emergency use only and cannot be used for overnight stays. There’s a campground at the Gwaneum-sa entrance.
