Hiking South Korea’s Highest Mountain in Winter

I booked Jeju in May, planning to go with my brother and hike Hallasan in December. By November, he had work and college commitments, so he couldn’t come. The flights and accommodations were already paid for, so I went alone.

When my guesthouse owner found out I was hiking Seongpanak, she looked surprised. She thought I meant a short walk to see snow. She lent me her own crampons, asked if I had a reservation, and reminded me to eat breakfast early and bring hot water.

I started at 7:30 AM. It was 0°C, with a feels-like temperature of −3°C. I had my layers, hiking shoes, and crampons, but no hiking poles - which I’d definitely bring next time.

About five hundred meters in, I was already thinking about turning back. I knew it would be cold, but the wind made it harder than I expected. I remember thinking, "I flew all the way here to turn back?" So I kept walking.

The cold was the hardest part for me. I was dressed for winter, but being outside in those conditions for hours took some getting used to. Whenever the wind picked up, I questioned my decision a little.

I reached Jindallaebat Shelter at 11:12 AM, almost four hours after starting. It was −7°C, and my legs were tired. I was eighteen minutes ahead of the 11:30 cutoff for continuing toward the summit that day. By then, I had walked 7.3 km from the trailhead. The summit was another 2.3 km uphill, and I still had to get back down. I sat for a while, ate my ramyeon, and decided I was happy with how far I’d gone. I didn’t feel the need to push for the summit.

The whole hike took six hours and forty-five minutes, covering roughly 14.6 km. Somehow, I even ended up trail running during parts of the descent. That was fun, although I’d give myself enough time to walk down carefully when planning a winter hike.

Afterward, I had hot chocolate and a sandwich at the Paris Baguette near my guesthouse. When I got back, the owner saw me limping and gave me muscle pain reliever from her own stash.

A few things to know if you’re planning to hike Seongpanak in winter:

- Check reservations, trail conditions, and cutoff times. Make sure you know the deadline at the checkpoint, not just when you can enter the trail. Check the mountain forecast again that morning. - Prepare your supplies beforehand. There are no shops along the trail. Bring food, enough drinking water, a flask of hot water, winter layers, gloves, and suitable traction. I’d also bring hiking poles. - Plan for the return. Turning around at Jindallaebat still means walking roughly 14.6 km in total. Leave enough time and energy for the descent, and work out your transport back to your accommodation.

I didn’t reach the summit, but I’m glad I went. It was a challenging solo winter hike, and stopping at Jindallaebat felt right for me that day.