Mt. Soyo Ascent and Descent...

Captain Ewers and I trekked Soyosan (소요산) two Saturdays ago. Lots of friendly climbers took the 1,000 foot ascent in the first half mile rather seriously decked with backpacks, mountaineering boots and walking poles. A nice view from the top over looking Camp Casey and Dongducheon City plus cool woods to hike through. This trail lead us to four peaks--Uisangdae is the tallest at 1,925 feet (587 meters).

Going down, Cheong waterfall and Chajae Temple are at the bottom of the descent and offer a place to rest and relax. An overall trip of 7 miles and 2.5 hours, including a lunch break at the top was fun.

Historical note: During the opening days of the Korean War the ROK Army’s 7th Division fought against the North Korean 4th Division from the slopes of this mountain. On the way up you see concrete bunkers from which the ROK troops defended this ridgeline.