Free and unfettered

Soyosan Mountain is one of the most-advertised mountains in South Korea and its publicity is completely free. It’s the northern terminus of the Seoul Subway’s No. 1 Line, meaning that commuters riding north from as far away as Incheon often see that their train is bound there.

While the No. 1 line ― the first to be constructed here ― began operating in 1974, the northern extension that ended with Soyosan Station was only completed in 2006. Further northward expansion is currently blocked by the Demilitarized Zone.

Of course, the station wasn’t built to provide access to the mountain, but because the mountain is in Dongducheon, the site of the U.S. military base Camp Casey, established in 1952 and home of the 2nd Infantry Division. Though the camp will presumably be merged into Camp Humphrey (close to Pyeongtaek Station, also on the No. 1 Line) before the end of the decade, the complex still accommodates close to 10,000 military personnel and civilians.

Jajaeam Hermitage at Mount Soyosan, Gyeonggi Province (Matt Crawford/The Korea Herald)

Stepping off the train on a Saturday in mid-October, the platform was a sea of perms and gray hair. One old fellow was wearing a ball cap with a U.S. Marines logo. Another’s read “Panmunjeom-DMZ.” Some were already using their hiking poles. Fighting against the flow of elderly hikers were small bands of GIs, heading into town on their day off. As we inched toward the turnstiles, it nearly became a stampede.

Thankfully, most of the crowd was heading to a chrysanthemum exhibition at the entrance to the Mount Soyosan hiking area. Among the displays were chrysanthemum bonsais, including a strange piece that included a grim-reaper puppet, a baseball marked with the name of the star Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, and a mini baseball glove. A sax soloist played for a small group of appreciators while a trot music stage drew a sizable crowd.

Past the weekend attractions and the Freedom Protection Peace Museum, the road led to the ticket kiosk and the permanent fixtures of Soyosan, starting with Wonhyogul Cave. This is the first of several sites and structures named after the Buddhist Great Master Wonhyo, who settled here as a hermit around A.D. 645 after having an affair with a princess.

Wonhyo established Jajaeam Hermitage and also gave the mountain its name, which means “free and unfettered.” The hermitage was destroyed during the Goryeo Dynasty, Joseon era and Korean War but was rebuilt each time. Not far from Jajaeam, on the path to Gongjubong Peak, is the site of another ancient temple, but all that remains is the leveled ground where it once stood.

Daeungjeon, the main hall of Jajaeam, on this day was packed with parents praying for their children’s success on Korea’s college entrance exam, the Suneung. Inside, a monk was leading the prayers with the strident clash of a gong and the dirge-like drone of a mantra. While the nearby Oknyu Waterfall was flowing modestly, Wonhyosaem spring, under an overhanging rock outcrop, had attracted a long queue. Rated one of the top 10 mineral water stations in Korea, the water is said to have high iron content and disease-curing properties.

From the hermitage, the path up to the ridge zigzagged through the rusty reds and faded yellows of maples, the main attraction for this time of year, scattered among oaks that had not yet begun to change color. Further up was Seonnyeotang, a terraced gorge with a set of pools said to be used as bathtubs by mountain fairies. For closer views, some hikers ventured out on rock slabs that were tilted at uncomfortable angles, like the floors of amusement park funhouses.

Up on the ridge, a section named Kalbawi (Knife-Boulder) helped to explain why Mount Soyosan is given the nickname The Small Geumgangsan of Gyeonggi Province. Mount Geumgangsan, in North Korea’s Gangwon Province, has long served as the standard of perfection for all Korean mountains. With tours there from the South shut down since 2008, hikers must make do with the several “Small Geumgangsans” here in the Southern half of the peninsula.

If the bundles of rock wafers along Kalbawi were actual peaks, they would somewhat resemble the 12,000 or so rock needles of Geumgangsan. The Kalbawi section begins with Mongolian oak but is taken over by thick pines closer to Uisangdae (587 m), the highest point of the circuit. Here a view opens up of Camp Casey, with its athletic field, baseball diamond and well-ordered sets of buildings.

Earlier in the day, Soyosan’s circular ridge and slopes acted as a natural amphitheater, sending the rock anthems of a band performing near the parking lot straight to the top. It had grown silent, though, and the path was empty when a bugle call drifted up from Camp Casey at exactly 5 p.m.

The tune was “Retreat,” signaling the end of the work day for the military staff below, and the end of the hiking day for those still on the trail. The light was fading, and it was time to leave the mountain.

By Matthew C. Crawford (mattcrawford@heraldcorp.com)