Escape from Summer, Mountain Recess to Land of Mystery

Koreans are rushing for the summer vacation especially during July and August. There are too many people to limited resorts. Now everybody needs to have a secret guidebook for a summer vacation.

The travel team of the Donga Ilbo`s athletics department and 4 professional travel writers have visited 3 remote places of Korea, which are recorded as hermitage and refuge in the traditional books of secrets, that are, Tojeongbigyol and Jeonggamrok.

# 3 Doons and 4 Garis

The Hermitages section in Jeonggamrok illustrates the 3 Doons and 4 Garis, ``the Girin gully in Chuncheon is most deep and steep…. While sailing upstream, a stream of waters spouted out from the clefts of the valley bursts into one`s view.`` Doon means an open field in a valley and Gari means a small patch of land in a remote valley. 3 Doons include Woeldoon (Moon Doon), Daldoon, and Saengdoon (Life Doom) and 4 Garis list Morning Gari, Jeokgari, Yeongari, and Myongjigeogari. 3 Doons stretches along the west side of Baekdu-daegan (the Baekdu spinal mountains) from Mt. Jeombong in Injae through Guryongryong (nine dragons ridge) and Birobong (flying herons peak) of Mt. Odaesan to Mt. Gaebang. 4 Garis are hidden behind the skirt of Mt. Bangtaesan, from which the waters of the Bangtaecheon brook flow along the Bangtae valley (from Hyun-ri, Jindong-ri, to Seolpi village) and finally run through the Narincheon stream to the Soyang River.

Saeng Doon and Misan Valley

At 7 O`clock in a rainy morning, while driving from Hongcheon to Hyun-Ri, we picked up a middle school student who was heading to Sangnam Middle School.

``Where is the favorite spots of the villagers in the summer?``

``Misan Valley.``

``We heard that the path is steep and rugged.``

``A road was opened recently.``

After dropping him off at Sangnam forked road, we turned right and took the Route 446, which runs along the Bangnaecheon to the valley. The blooming clouds and mists in the middle of the valley looked like an enchanted garden. It was a great gift for the early birds. The Misan valley of the Naerincheon stream reaches from the confluence of the Bangnaecheon and the Narincheon (5.6 km from the Sangnam forked road) to the Saengdoon in the upper stream (Yuljeon-ri). The confluence under the Misan Bridge 3 seemed a nice place to camp on the widespread gravel field. The little brook between the Sangnam 3-way and the Misan Bridge 3 is recommendable for family vacations because the stream is so smooth and nice. There are 5 houses available for the short-term home-stay. The first one is `Refrigerating Valley Resort` (033-461-4136). The view from the house is the best. There is a mineral spring across the stream and you may enjoy the homemade hot chowders of perches and catfishes prepared by the innkeeper. Around the confluence, Hapsu Inn restaurant is located (033-463-6787).

Part of the road in the Misan valley is not paved yet its not difficulty to drive. Beautiful camping sites spread along the stream, including condominium-type cozy inns among all 11 inns.

Saengdoon is a small town located in a spacious basin surrounded by the steep valleys, passing over Chiljeondong and Sogaeindong. This place is worthy enough to be recorded in the secret books for hermitage, considering its cozy and comfortable circumstances. The Saldoon Hillside Cottage is a log cabin located by the Naerincheon and is annexed with the camping and swimming sites. The figure of the innkeeper can be imagined by the 40 thousands books in his library of the vinylon-house.

Bangtaesan Resort Forest in the Jeokgari valley (so-called Yard-rock valley)

The valley of the primeval forests. Gombaeryong ridge (Jingdong-ri, Injae-gun) of Mt. Jeombongsan, which is famous for its beautiful prairie covered with the gorgeously blossomed wild flowers. All of these are in the deep remote of the Bangtaecheon valley. Gitdaebong (pole ridges) of Mt. Bangtaesan stretches away as precipitously as the walls. The sky becomes narrower and the 4 Garis appear one by one from the skirts of the hillside. Jeokgarigol is the first valley to encounter among them.

The natural resort forests of Mt. Bangtaesan (033-435-5928) is located in the upper most of the Jeokgari valley. The forests is 6 km away from Hyun-Ri. In the valley, the stream and the winds are all calmed down. Clean and cozy inns stand along the street around the forests. The lovely features of the forest are shown from the ticket booth. You may enjoy the essential beauty of the valley from the booth to the place closed to all vehicles. The two waterfalls decorate the end of the valley named `This fall` (upper fall) and `That fall` respectively. The waters vertically fallen from 10 m high `This fall` stay at the linn for a while and then flows over the broad flat rocks and falls down through `That fall` showing off its wonderful scarf of the waterfalls. Dipping feet in the cool water under the shadow of the dark green forests, no one will remember their anxieties here.

The camping site of the forest is 10 minutes walk away, right in front of the ticket booth, and you would find many inns including the studios. In particular, Wangsol Farm (033-463-5947) under a 700 year-old gigantic pine tree attracts the travelers with its unique roof that looks like a leaf. 50,000-60,000 won for a studio and 30,000 - 40,000 for a single room.

Direction:

1) Misan Valley, Saengdoon: Seoul - Yangpyong - Hongcheon - Guseong/ Route 56 to Yangyang - Yongduan/ Route 444 - Mikyo - Sangnam - Route 446 - Misan- Saengdoon.

2) Jeokgarigol (The resort forests of Mt. Bangtaesan): Seoul - Yangpyong - Hongcheon - Guseong/ Route 56 to Yangyang - Yongduan/ Route 444 - Mikyo - Sangnam - Hyun-ri/ Route 453 - Bangdong bridge - The Resort Forests.

Sampoong (the three prosperity) in Tojeongbigyol

Tojeongbigyol describes, ``seek seeds in Sampoong after 9 years of famine and look for persons in Yangbaek after 12 years of wars.`` The three prosperity includes mountain, water, and three. And the Yangbaek refers to Taebaek and Sobaek. The land of Sampoong is known as Poonggok-Ri (Samcheok city) nearby the three valleys (Borigol, Yongsogol, and Eumjigol) of the Northwest side of Mt. Engbongsan. The path from the Yongsogol to Deokpoong valley is the representative of the three prosperity. Only 26 people of the 11 families live in the Deokpoong village but visitors could lodge at a private house. After parking and passing by the ticket booth, travelers will cross over 5 bridges. The narrow and 5.4 km-long path portrays the real scene of paradise. From there it takes about an hour to commute the first fall of Yongsogol. Gagok Natural Resort Forests (033-573-4659) is 1 km away from the ticket booth.

Direction: Seoul - Youngdong-Donghae Highway - Donghae/ Route 7 - Samcheok - Hosan - Wondeok/ Route 416 - Poonggok 3 Way (Poonggok Parking Lot)

Cho Seong-Ha summer@donga.com