HL/SL-006 Guryongsan

 It was getting close to the end of our time in Korea, but there was still time for one more SOTA activation. We were back in Seoul, so I picked a summit that was easy to get to from the subway. This peak is south of the Gangnam neighborhood, made famous by the song.

The trails were well signed, and seemed pretty popular.

From the Yangjae Citizens Forest station exit 3 I walked south along the road. There is a busy road to cross, then a few buildings, then I stepped into the woods. Based on the maps I was expecting a well marked trail. But instead I found an unmarked, not well used path. It was going the right direction, and in the spot I expected, so I followed it. After a quarter mile or so it intersected with a much nicer path.

Occasional glimpses of the city.

This trail was obviously what I wanted, and what I had been expecting, so I followed it up the ridge. There were a fair number of people out for a hike. Like the other hikes I had done here, it was much more humid than I was expecting. I'm really spoiled living in California. It did feel like it was going to rain, but I never felt more than a few drops.  

Weather station on the ridge.

At one of the intersections there was a big sign telling about the Seoul Trail that circumnavigates the city. It seemed like it could be an interesting thing to do if you lived there. Shortly before the summit is an excellent view point. I stopped for a few pictures before continuing on to the high point. The summit was unremarkable. Just below, near a tower, was a bench I decided to sit at. It was slightly difficult putting up the antenna through the trees, but I managed well enough. On the air I worked Korean and Japanese stations.  

Seoul: Namsan on the left, Lotte Tower, Bukhansan

Once HF was packed up, I walked back to the viewpoint to see if I could get anyone on 2m. I got two more stations, then headed back down. This time I took the nice trail all the way to the bottom, where it came out between a few buildings. It would've been hard to find that trailhead without knowing about it. 

Trailhead: Yangjae Citizens Park subway station, exit 3.

Website: SOTA Site.

Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.

Route: Head south along the road, crossing the expressway. In between the buildings there is a trailhead, or the one along the main road. Follow the trail to the summit.

Red Tape: None.

Video: