Chiaksan National Park

Chiaksan runs to 1,288 metres at Birobong on a ridge east of Wonju, and among Korean hikers it has a specific reputation: the ascents are relentless, with long unbroken gradients and rock steps, and the name is popularly glossed as the mountain that makes you cry. The most-walked approach is from Guryongsa, a temple founded in the Silla period in a valley of pools and old trees at the northern end - the temple itself, its stone bridge and the surrounding forest are worth the walk even if you go no further. From Birobong three stone cairns stand on the summit, built and rebuilt by a local man over years. Other routes climb from Seongnam past Sangwonsa, a hermitage high on the ridge that carries a legend about a pheasant repaying a debt to a traveller, which is where the mountain's name comes from. Autumn colour here is strong and the park is far quieter than Seoraksan.

What you actually see

• Guryongsa temple - the Silla foundation in its pool valley.
• The Birobong cairns - the stone piles on the summit.
• Sangwonsa hermitage - the high shrine and its pheasant legend.
• The autumn ridges - colour without Seoraksan's crowds.

When to go

May to June and October. Autumn is the best season and still far less crowded than the eastern parks. Winter needs crampons on the upper rock.

Honest expectations

The climbs are genuinely steep and sustained - this is not a gentle national park. Trails are rocky and hard on the knees descending. Facilities are limited to the trailheads.

Nearby

Wonju is 15 km west; Woraksan and Chungju Lake are south.