#mountnamsan

13 February 2015

Who knew that I would describe hiking as a hobby? Although it may be slightly too early to say, since we have just been on two hikes so far (the third one cancelled due to chilling winds over the weekend).

After some gentle advertising from my boyfriend, I decided to give hiking a go. Three weeks ago we headed to Mount Namsan (his suggestion) after enjoying a lazy brunch at Venzamas (my suggestion). We parked at Sambulsa Temple (Three buddhas Temple), excitedly found some natural hiking sticks and decided to conquer Geumobong Peak! I was in an adventurous mood - full of energy after our belly-bursting brunch. 

The last memory I have of hiking on a mountain dates back to when I was ten years old, it was a junior school trip to the Lake District. We spent the day at Catbells, and three distinct episodes have stuck with me - participating in a treasure hunt, enjoying a picnic on the grass, and lastly, a classmate tripping and rolling part way down the mountain (as far as I remember he wasn't seriously hurt from the incident). To say I was a bit nervous about this hike is putting it mildly. I was on guard and on edge whilst clambering up the narrow winding paths and rock faces. I had half expected (hoped for) an easy and gentle sloping path that would lead us nicely to the summit. Instead, what greeted us was an adventurous and exciting (a bit intimidating to begin with) climb, which I found myself to quite enjoy.