[One Day Walk] 'Gangneung Baougil Course 1' Capturing Donghae and Daegwallyeong at a Glance

원본보기 아이콘

'Bau-gil,' which captures the mountains and rivers of Gangwon-do, is a natural and human-friendly walking course. Bau means rock in the Gangwon-do dialect, and people from Gangwon-do are affectionately called Gamja Bau. Additionally, Bau is the name of the great goddess of health in Babylonian mythology.

Bau-gil refers to a trekking course with a total length of 400 km, consisting of 17 sections of the general Gangneung Bau-gil where you can walk along mountain ranges and the sea from Baekdudaegan to Gyeongpo and Jeongdongjin, 2 sections of Daegwallyeong Bau-gil, Ultra Bau-gil, Valley Bau-gil, and Ari Bau-gil. You can head toward the entire Gangwon-do with the East Sea at your back.

The first section of Gangneung Bau-gil is located on the 'Seonjaryeong Windmill Road,' adjacent to the Daegwallyeong National Forest Trail. You can enjoy the harmony of the green sheep ranch and the wind power complex spread out like white pinwheels on the mountain. The course takes about 5 hours and consists of a total of 12 km where you can walk along the backbone of Baekdudaegan.

The course is designed to start from the Daegwallyeong Renewable Energy Exhibition Hall, pass the junction of section 2, the ranch road, Seonjaryeong, and the East Sea Observatory, and then return to the starting point. Although the summit is at 1,157 meters, it may feel burdensome, but since the starting point is about 850 meters high, the uphill climb is not too steep.

The difficulty of Daegwallyeong Seonjaryeong is moderate, and beginners can walk it sufficiently with basic equipment. Since the weather at Seonjaryeong is changeable, it is recommended to prepare extra clothes to easily regulate body temperature.

The course starts at the Daegwallyeong Village Rest Area located in Pyeongchang-gun. The Daegwallyeong Renewable Energy Exhibition Hall here is a space explaining the history and principles of wind power generation and the Daegwallyeong wind power complex. The 53 white wind turbines create an exotic atmosphere.

Photo provided by Gangneung Baugil official website capture

원본보기 아이콘

Next, follow the ranch road along the ridge of Baekdudaegan. You can enjoy the sight of sheep grazing on the grassland spread out on the low plateau.

Walking against the backdrop of the sheep ranch, the Baekdudaegan Seonjaryeong marker stone indicates that you have reached the summit. A dense yet gentle forest path continues, and in spring weather like now, you can encounter numerous wildflowers along the way. Seonjaryeong is one of South Korea's representative winter snow flower trekking courses. The valley-shaped path allows you to focus on the sounds of nature, such as the water in the valley and the leaves rustling in the wind.

After fully enjoying the mountains, it is time to move to the East Sea Observatory, where you can overlook the sea at a glance. The horizon of the East Sea, seemingly touching the sky, the Yeongdong Expressway, and the overlapping ridges unfold. Enjoying this view makes it hard to leave with regret.

As you walk again, the slope becomes gentle, allowing you to finish the course comfortably without getting tired. Walking while enjoying the scenery, before you know it, today's course ends at the Daegwallyeong Rest Area, the starting and finishing point.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.