Hallasan is Koreas highest mountain, and for koreans it is considered very good, if you once during your lifetime have done the scenic hike to the very top.
The koreans apparently have a very soft spot for this mountain, which , - I believe -, is just the same feeling as the Japanese have for their world famous mountain, - the Fujiyama.

But then the similarities between the two volcanic mountains stop.
While the Fujiyama with its perfect cone is the most famous mountain in the Far East, - and indeed one of the most famous mountains in the whole World -, the Hallasan is virtually unknown outside the region.

What a shame, - because this mountain is fantastic - - - - - - -

The perfect volcano cone is absent here, and the whole mountain, - and the terrain around it -,is apparently one big, disorganized mess of humps, holes, flat plains and vertical walls and fantastic volcanic rock formations, so very different from Fujiyamas clean, perfect symmetrical lines - - -

Apparently Mother Nature went crazy here, and that is exactly why I consider Hallasan to be the absolute winner when comparing the two mountains - - -

Having climbed numerous of Koreas wild, wild mountains, - which I consider to be the absolute best hiking country in the World -, I finally decided to go for the Hallasan way back in October 1991- - -

Please enjoy some of my impressions from conquering the Hallasan, - Korea's highest mountain - - -
 
 

This picture is taken from the local bus that runs on the eastern cross island highway between Cheju and Sogwipo.
The central, high part of the island, - with the Hallasan -, is seen in the background - -
There are several trails from all directions, that leads up to the top of Hallasan, but I chose the Orimok trail, because it starts very conveniently from this highway about halfway between Cheju and Sogwipo - -
 
 

This wall seems very hostile and impossible to climb without proper equipment, so I had to find an easier access to the crater top.
I did not know which way to go, - left or right -, but luckily enough, I decided to walk to the right along this awesome looking lava wall - - -
 
 

That was a good decision - - -
Until now I have had the trail very much to myself, but now the mountain side was suddenly full of people, - all heading in the same direction.
Apparently they came from nowhere, but the reason for this sudden concentration of people was, that this was the access point for getting up on the crater rim, and the various trails on the mountain all came together at this point - -
The way up was like a giant highway made from an ancient lava flow - -
 
 

Having reached the top of mount Hallasan by the Oromok trail, I decided to take another route down in order to see and experience different landscapes - - -
Following series of pictures are from the return trip via the Youngshill trail, - a trail maybe even more thrilling and scenic than the Orimok trail - - -
And this trail I had completely to myself!
Nobody was there, - only me - , in the middle of a magnificent scenery of volcanic rocks - - - -
 
 

Having reached the top of mount Hallasan by the Oromok trail, I decided to take another route down in order to see and experience different landscapes - - -
Following series of pictures are from the return trip via the Youngshill trail, - a trail maybe even more thrilling and scenic than the Orimok trail - - -
And this trail I had completely to myself!
Nobody was there, - only me - , as if I was all alone in the World, in the middle of a magnificent scenery of volcanic rocks - - - -
 
 

Updated:  October 30.2000
               July 09.2006
               Feb.19.2008