EASY TRIPS
PHOTOGRAPH: FLICKR/CHARLTONLIDU, FLICKR/BOUSURE, FLICKR/ADI PRABOWO
For those serious about hiking, head to
Sokcho first via bus from Seoul Express
Bus Terminal or drive to Seoraksan
National Park for your head start.
Package Korea runs tours to Seoraksan
for shorter hikes and provides return
transport to Seoul and lunch (from
US$130 per person; packagekorea.com).Rinjani Park requires all climbers to be
assisted with a guide for safety reasons.
Hallo Trekker offers a range of climbing
packages on both routes and over a
number of days (from US$180 per
person for a 2D1N trek, inclusive of
entrance, porter fees, and more;
hallotrekker.com).Guides are needed to climb Kota
Kinabalu and climbing packages are
easily booked on the mountain’s official
website (from US$484 per person,
inclusive of porter fees and overnight
stay; mountkinabalu.com).Before conquering Everest, here are three mountains to
triumph over first
MAKE IT HAPPEN MAKE IT HAPPEN MAKE IT HAPPENSeoraksan,
South Korea
(1,708m)
Daecheongbong is Seoraksan’s
highest peak at an easily accessible
1,708m high. Hiking is a popular
activity in Korea that transcends all
ages – don’t be surprised if the
greying elderly pass you on your
way up. Seoraksan National Park,
where Daecheongpong peak is
located, has a number of hiking
routes that will take hikers to natural
wonders like waterfalls and caves,
and historical monuments like the
Baekdamsa Temple. The views from
the top have been described as
‘ethereal’, especially during foggy
months like in autumn, when
low-lying clouds sit in the valleys of
the mountain. A trek up to the peak
will take a minimum of four hours
for novice climbers.Mount Rinjani,
Indonesia
(3,726m)
Don’t let Mount Rinjani’s height, or
the fact that it is an active volcano,
discourage any thoughts of climbing
it. The mountain offers two routes,
an easier, flatter one to the summit
via Sembalun, or a steeper, more
scenic climb through a rainforest via
Senaru. Climbers on Senaru often
stop at the crater rim (around
2,700m), where the sight of aqua
blue waters on a seemingly quiet
crater greets climbers who reach this
point. The extra 1,000m ascent to
the top requires a higher level of
fitness for those who intend to reach
the summit.Kota Kinabalu,
Malaysia
(4,095.2m)
Located on Borneo island, which is
a part of Malaysia’s territory, Kota
Kinabalu is Southeast Asia’s tallest
peak. The mountain experienced an
earthquake a couple of years ago and
was closed for a while as new safety
measures were put into place. It has
since reopened and continues to be
an extremely popular climb this part
of the world. The trek up requires a
night over but climbers will be
rewarded with a beautiful sunrise
once the peak is conquered the next
day. Take the challenging via ferrata
of tightrope bridges or an easier two
to three-hour trek down after to
complete the experience.Climb every mountain