KBS2 ‘Video Album: Mountain’ Episode 1030
At 6:55 a.m. on the 8th, KBS2 ‘Video Album: Mountain’ Episode 1030 will air the segment ‘Chiaksan National Park Winter Traverse Part 2···A Mountain Embracing Grace’, in which actor and singer Kim Dong-wan traverses ‘Birobong’, the highest peak of Chiaksan, together with mountaineer Oh Eun-sun.
Chiaksan, the guardian mountain of Wonju in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. Branching off from the Baekdudaegan ridge, peaks over 1,000 meters stretch out in a long line around its highest summit, Birobong (1,288 m) including Hyangnobong (1,043 m) and Namdaebong (1,181 m) forming a massive rampart.
Deep valleys lie between these high peaks, creating superb scenery, and because it harbors diverse biological resources and relics, it was designated the 16th national park in 1984. In Chiaksan National Park, where winter has not yet departed and has embroidered the landscape with splendid snow blossoms, mountaineer Oh Eun-sun and singer and actor Kim Dong-wan continue their long traverse.
The route passes Sangwonsa toward Namdaebong. The bitter wind makes cheeks sting and the tip of the nose tingle. After a recent heavy snowfall, the trail is blanketed in snow, with only the deep tracks of a wild boar from the night before remaining.
KBS2 ‘Video Album: Mountain’ Episode 1030
Following those traces step by step, a dreamlike mood persists. In the inclement weather, the boundary between sky and earth dissolves, the world turning white as if trapped in a cloud. The increasingly steep grade and breath-shortening path are a tough challenge even for the veteran mountaineers on the filming crew.
Mountain weather changes from moment to moment. The thick mist lifts, and warm sunlight shines. Drawn by that light, their steps grow lighter. They soon arrive at Jwineomijae, from which the city of Wonju can be taken in at a glance. An intriguing legend has been passed down here.
Long ago, there were so many rats at a temple called Beomsa in Beomgol that the monks could no longer endure it and left, and the hordes of rats also filed over this pass and disappearedso the story goes. The city spread far below lies shrouded in hazy fine dust, but the breath of the high mountain where the party stands is exceptionally clean, and the sky is piercingly clear.
Before they know it, at Birobong, the highest peak of Chiaksan, three stone pagodas catch the eye. A citizen of Wonju, Yong Chang-jung, is said to have received a divine revelation in a dream one day: ‘Within three years, build three stone pagodas at a place where three provinces can be seen.’ Thereafter, he began stacking stones alone, and today these three pagodas are called Yongwang Pagoda, Sansin Pagoda, and Chilseong Pagoda, becoming symbols of Birobong.
KBS2 ‘Video Album: Mountain’ Episode 1030
Along the path toward the summit, you can also find Hwangjangmok, a top-grade timber used to build royal palaces or ships in the Joseon era; in particular, the Hwangjangmok of Chiaksan is said to have been the precious wood used to make the king's coffin.
Following the sturdy road of time layered with long stories, they crest ridgelines that undulate like waves of snow blossoms. The moment they reach 1,288 m Birobong, gasping for breath, the hours of challengewalking steadily through fierce winds and snowy trails for the winter traversearrive as overwhelming emotion. A mountain where pristine white snowscapes settle neatly upon rugged ridges, captivating the eye. Between winter and spring, let us set out with <Video Album: Mountain> for Chiaksan National Park, where you can exchange a fine farewell with the dazzlingly beautiful season just past.
◆ Cast: Oh Eun-sun / mountaineer, Kim Dong-wan / singer · actor
◆ Route: Sangwonsa - Namdaebong - Godeunjae - Hwanggol Samgeori - Birobong – Guryongsa / approx. 15.7 km, approx. 8 hours
KBS2 ‘Video Album: Mountain’ Episode 1030
