Jeju Olle Trail – Week 2

South Korea – March 2023

Let’s start where we left off: I begin my day on Route 4 by buying my lunch at the CU convenience store next to the Ganse-shaped stamp station for Trail #3. The first part of today‘s route is a rocky section along the seashore. I power through the first hour and only briefly stop when 2 fellow hiking ladies ask me to take a picture of them. Just before the halfway mark, I reach the Jeju Bank training center which is giving me Hawaii vibes. A short forest trail later I arrive at a nice spot by the ocean that‘s covered by trees and eat my packed lunch. It’s not long after I continue my walk, when I meet Yong Tae.

He’s a middle-aged Korean man and a fast walker. However, when he passes me, he does the double take and proceeds to slow down to my fast but more leisurely velocity. We spend the rest of the afternoon hiking together, talking about languages, family, Russia (where he studied), he answers my questions about his view on North Korea and Korean culture in general. When we pass a small settlement with a cute café, Yong Tae spontaneously invites me to coffee and cake. Later we’re back at the sea where we witness some sort of seagull jacuzzi. When we say bye after arriving in Namwon, I mention to him that walking together is easier. I eat a chicken burger for dinner and buy new socks at GS25.

I wake up tired, because in the middle of the night some drunk people, who mistook my room at the sketchy motel for theirs, loudly attempted to open my door. However, I try to keep up the energy from yesterday afternoon and tackle Route 5 & Route 6. It’s gonna be a loooong day and I have to remind myself on several occasions that after the 24.5 km, I‘ll be rewarded with a 3-day stay in Seogwipo. The first highlight of the day is the squid hanging from a clothing line to dry just outside Namwon. From here it’s another rocky trail along the ocean. I accidentally end up in a tourist rush hour on a small forest trail to a viewpoint. After crossing that cliff, I sit down for a snack break at a wooden picknick table overlooking a quiet bay.

Suddenly, I hear loud chattering in Korean and a moment later, a bunch of middle-aged ladies sit down next to me. They immediately start to unpack snacks and slide fruit and crackers my way across the table. We eat without saying much, I thank them and continue on. In a small port town, I make the mistake of obliging to a sign that prevents people from taking a shortcut across a giant metal bridge. I end up at the smallest conbini I‘ve ever seen, where I buy lunch. When I arrive at the other side of the bridge, I see a bunch of people hanging out on top of it. Well, it’s too late now and I don’t have time to dwell. So I continue until I reach a former Haenyeo freshwater hole, where a mom is playing with her 2 kids

I sit down next to them and eat my lunch while they’re throwing rocks. I check my progress and see that it’s still a while to go until the end of Trail 5. When I finally reach the stamp Ganse, I want to give up. Still 11 km to go. My whole body hurts, and I can hardly enjoy the blooming cherry blossom trees and the pretty gorge I‘m passing. On this section, I encounter a lot of other hikers (probably day trippers from Seogwipo) but I‘m too tired to talk, or even smile. After about 5 kilometers, I come across a small coffee truck. I buy an iced latte to cheer myself up for the last stretch. The couple who‘s in line behind me screams „hwaiting“ (~fighting) when I leave.

Now I just have to cross a small park from where I (and many other tourists) enjoy magnificent views of a small island. Then the trail leads through the premisses of KAL hotel. I definitely feel a bit weird crossing the Mediterranean style restaurant in my hiking gear. I want to give up a few more times when I’m faced with steep cliffs and climbs. But then I finally reach the waterfall from where I know it’s only a kilometer or so till the city center. Suddenly my backpain is gone and I arrive at a beautiful temple on light feet. I’ve made it to Seogwipo. On the way to the Olle Stay – my accommodation for the coming days – I pass a small music festival, and I immediately like the town. Stay tuned for a whole separate post on my stay here.

Opposite to my plan I made the previous day – to take a rest after my first night in Seogwipo – I go on a day trip to Route 7. I take the bus to the small town where the finish stamp is located and buy a small lunch in a bakery. Then I follow the orange arrows for once which lead around the island counterclockwise. I walk down to the ocean and pass many farms and greenhouses. It’s a sunny day and without a backpack much easier to hike. At the rocky coast, some people are camping with their caravans. I decide to enjoy the view for a while and eat the fresh olive bread by the sea. Then I continue my hike, listening to the hilarious “We’re Having Gay Sex-Podcast” and soaking up the warm weather.

The views on this ocean trail are mixed: I pass a large cruise ship dock and small towns. But there are also some pretty bays with lots of flowers. I take another break at a rocky beach where there are more caravans stationed. From there, I climb across large rocks until I’m back on the main street. There are a lot of people enjoying the good weather on the seaside promenades lined with cafés. And then I reach the route’s highlight: Hwanguji Coast with its impressive cliffs and rock formations that have been featured in a popular Korean drama. It’s here that I connect to the public wifi and open the email containing an exciting job offer. On light feet, I tackle the last portion of the trail leading back to the city, where I’m greeted by blooming Cherry blossoms and a magnificent view of Hallasan. It’s my first painless hiking day, and nothing stops me from a relaxing second night at Olle Stay.

Two days later I embark on Route 8. I again take the bus to the town where started Trail 7 the other day. But this time I follow the blue arrows to the west. I meet an older Korean couple who ask me to take a picture of them. We chat for a while, and they tell me about their plans to hike the Camino de Santiago in Spain later this year. We part ways when I take a little shortcut and skip an Oreum. Now the trail leads through some resorts and features a steep climb. As the place is quite touristy, there are restaurants claiming the view on top of the cliff, so for passerbyers like me, there is no place to enjoy the nice view… So I continue my walk, checking Kakao map for lunch options. Unfortunately, the convenience stores don’t have much to offer here, so I go with Mc Donalds. I carry my (very cheap!) burger and fries past a golf course. And finally, take a rest at a beautiful park filled with blooming cherry blossom trees.

I “hanami” with my fast food and watch the people taking pictures and the bees flying around the flowers. Luckily, the trail continues down the hill now and through the entirety of the cherry blossom park. And when I finally reach the ocean, a small bay with a natural pool awaits me. I soak my feet for a while before I embark on the last part of the trail. And then I already arrive in the cute port town of Andeok-myeon, where I have to take another bus. I skip Trail #9 because of time and lack of accommodation in the area. Luckily, I found Tto-Ttot Guesthouse on the western side of Mt. Sangbangsan. It offers amazing views of the several mountain peaks in the area. I watch the sunset (and a random flying fish) at the port. Later that night, the other guests and I gather at the bonfire and dig into the Fried Chicken a Korean couple ordered. It’s another painless hiking day!

Like this, I manage to avoid thinking about my future for one more day. But waking up the next morning, I know I have to tackle the questions in the back of my mind. And what better place to do that than on a long-distance hike without anyone to talk to. Find out how that goes in part three.