Hiking is a big deal in Korea. Or at least in Seoul (especially because you can ride the subway to the entrance of the national park). Typically it's all the ajimas and abojis (older women and men) who go hiking. We accidently took the advanced trek up and no joke, we had 50 and 60 year olds passing us on the hike up.
Anyways, if you are in Korea you must go hiking!! It is an experience all in its own. The entrance to Mt. Dobong is like Dinsey World. You must navigate your way through tons of shops vending hiking clothes, hiking poles, hiking backpacks, hiking gloves, hiking hats, and anything else you can imagine. All the Koreans headed to the mountain wear the same brands, same backpacks, same boots, and carry the same hiking poles. We felt underdressed hiking in t-shirts, gym shorts, and tennis shoes. It's an all day event, so obviously you bring food and drinks, but they're not what we're use to in America. Kimbap is a must:
It's the Korean take on sushi. It is rice, some kind of protein, and veggies all wrapped up in seaweed. It's usually served at picnics or outdoor events. Makkoli is another stapple:
It's Korean rice wine. You're supposed to freeze it and by the time you reach the summit it's cold and ready to drink. Basically after you reach the summit you go find a small patch to sit, eat, and get drunk. The post lunch hike down is very interesting.
