Not quite the Blue Ridge

So anyone who's anyone knows the Blue Ridge Mountains and their splendor in the great state of North Carolina (biased?) Growing up on the eastern side of the state, I've always been quite comfortable with the Atlantic breeze blowing a bit of salt my way, but the mountains...they lift my soul and carry that sweet banjo music straight to my ear. I'm steadied and calm looking at that blue spread of hills.

Here's to the land of the long leaf pine.

So when I landed myself in a country that is easily %80 mountains, I felt slightly at home (slightly). Right outside of my window I saw mountains that were ridiculously accessible and begging to be climbed.

View from my window. The mountain on the right foreground is the one from this tale.

I had my eyes on them ever since I wiped the jet lag away my second day here. Finding time and partners to go with me were what kept me from these beauties. There's a pagoda on top and at night it's lit up so you can see it all over Naju. But this weekend I found a good soul who was willing to go with me. A fellow expat here, Nic, had climbed the mountain several times, offered to take me and walked ahead of me as the hike went. Now I love a good hike. I'm slow, ahjumma slow, but I get where I'm going, thus the "walked ahead of me" bit.

We talked about things we missed from home (Wendy's), how Coke from the fountain is better than canned Coke, the dear friend I have from my summer in Ireland that he knows (extremely small world!) and it all ceased once we reached the top. Actually, the talking ceased when we were hiking because I couldn't breathe, hike, and talk at the same time. The talking happened during the frequent breaks I took and during the "easier" parts of the hike...but you get my point. 

Korea is called the Land of the Morning Calm, and I couldn't have disagreed with that title more (Korea, you are anything but calm). That same calm that I feel in the NC mountains overtook me once we reached the top (partly out of sheer exhaustion). Here is why.

Hiking is labeled the "national sport" of Korea. No wonder.