This previous weekend, January 23 and 24, marked Adventure Korea’s annual trip to the Mt. Taebaek Snow Festival in Taebaek, Gangwon-do. Known as the “Snow Flower Festival” in Korean (태백산 눈꽃축제), the festival is a big draw for people that enjoy the winter. With excellent hiking, snow sculptures, and a detour to Korea’s highest cave, the weekend is bound to have something to interest everyone.
The weekend started as all AK trips do, with an early morning at either Hongik University Station or Express Bus Terminal Station. Once all the members had boarded the bus, and it was quite a full bus this year, we departed Seoul for Taebaek. Our trip arrived at Yongyeon Cave (용연동굴) about 4.5 hours after our Seoul departure, with the inclusion of two rest stops.
Yongyeon Cave has the distinction of being the highest cave in Korea, at 980 meters above sea level (some sources say 930, so why not average them to 955?). After taking the tour bus up the winding mountain road, as there were sadly no mini-buses this year, our travelers emerged in a car park where hard hats were provided. A good thing, too, for as well-made as the trail inside the cave is, some spots in the cave are quite low. Despite the numerous signs advising “머리조심. 천천히 이동 하세요.” or “Watch your head. Go through this area slowly.”, the sound of hard hats reverberating off the cave walls could be heard rather frequently.
Once all the members had successfully navigated the cave, it was time to move on to the festival proper. After about a twenty minute drive through the city of Taebaek, our bus arrived at the venue, where we were kept together long enough for a group photo in front of one of the many snow sculptures featured at the entrance. From there, members were set free to wander and slip about the grounds at their leisure, both taking and posing for photographs with the snow sculptures. In addition to viewing the works of art crafted from snow, there were other activities for visitors to partake in, including a visit to the Coal Museum and sliding down the ice on an orange plastic bag. Aside from the cold, the crowds, and the bumps on slide, most people appeared to enjoy themselves at the festival.
As the day was coming to an end, our group moved to our conveniently located accommodation, a hostel just a few minutes’ walk away from the festival grounds. After rooms had been assigned, members spread their beds out on the nice, warm ondol, and then made their way downstairs to the buffet-style Korean dinner. Once people had eaten their fill, some people chose to brave the cold once more in search of some off-site entertainment, while others retreated to the warmth of their rooms with their already-purchased beverages. A few even had an early night.
Sunday broke to a light snow and windy weather, which made for an interesting hike up Mt. Taebaek to the peak. As the group of hikers fastened their spikes to their shoes for the ascent, the snow continued to fall. The hike to the top was a rather steep climb of about 1.5 hours, culminating in a view of “snow flowers” on the ridge and the altars to Dangun (단군, the traditional founder of Korea) at the top. Although the weather and the wind made it a bit more difficult to enjoy the views at the very top, there was still a sense of accomplishment once the uphill challenge was completed. From there, it was an hour down a much easier slope, past a temple, and bottoming at the Igloo Cafe once more at the Taebaek Snow Festival. For 3,000W hikers could purchase a coffee or cocoa, and take the stainless steel cup with them as a souvenir.
The last item on our schedule was a lunch consisting of some bibimbap buffet and a bowl of doenjangjjigae, then it was back to the bus for the ride back to Seoul. Members were treated to a viewing of “The Taking of Pelham 123″ (an interesting movie) and an early arrival at the Seoul metro. All said, it was a great way to spend the weekend enjoying the winter weather that Korea has to offer by seeing snow sculptures and trekking the country’s best winter mountain.
