Taebaeksan National Park

Taebaeksan reaches 1,567 metres at Janggunbong and became a national park in 2016, and it has been a sacred mountain far longer than that: on the summit ridge stands Cheonjedan, a stone altar where rites to heaven have been performed since at least the Silla period and still are, most publicly at the Gaecheon festival in October. The climb from Danggol is about four kilometres and, by the standards of Korean mountains, not severe - which matters, because Taebaeksan's real season is winter. The ridge holds heavy snow and rime ice from January, the stunted yew trees near the top - some of them centuries old, twisted and half-dead but still standing - fur over with frost, and the snow festival in Taebaek draws large numbers up. Spring brings royal azalea on the slopes. The area was coal country and the town below still shows it.

What you actually see

• Cheonjedan altar - the stone platform on the summit ridge.
• The ancient yews - twisted, frost-covered trees near the top.
• The winter rime - snow and ice on the ridge in January.
• The azaleas - royal azalea flowering in late spring.

When to go

January and February for snow and rime ice, which is what the mountain is known for; late May to June for azalea. Autumn is clear and quiet.

Honest expectations

Winter needs crampons and proper clothing - the ridge is exposed and temperatures drop far below freezing. Snow festival weekends fill the buses and trails. Cheonjedan is a ritual site; rites take precedence.

Nearby

Taebaek town and the coal museum are below; Manggyeongsa temple is on the mountain.