A Walk Above the Clouds: Encountering the Breath of the Sky at Pyeongchang Cheongoksan Yukbaekmajigi

A Plain Touching the Sky, Ascending Cheongoksan(Mt. Cheongok) Yukbaekmajigi

As you drive up the winding roads of Pyeongchang in Gangwon-do, you soon feel the air change outside your car window. At 1,256m above sea level, Cheongoksan(Mt. Cheongok)—named after the 'cheongok' wild greens that grow in abundance—holds a breeze as refreshing as its altitude. Yukbaekmajigi, which spreads widely near the mountain summit, is a special place that makes you feel as if you are facing the sky at the edge of the earth. It is a plain reached after a long drive, and the landscape I first encountered was so breathtakingly beautiful that it left me speechless.

Walking along the flat ridges of Yukbaekmajigi, you forget that you are at the summit of a mountain. The air here is cool yet incredibly clear. Vast highland vegetable fields stretch out in the surroundings, and the radishes grown here are famous for being as sweet as pears. When passing by the fields, you can actually feel the fresh scent of soil and the healthy vitality of the crops. Passing the quiet atmosphere of the Samshin-shinhang Daebonsa(shrine), the time spent cooling off in the mountain breeze blowing from afar was the ultimate comfort.

A Path for Everyone, the Warm Consideration of the Barrier-Free Sharing Trail

The path to the summit of Cheongoksan(Mt. Cheongok) is much friendlier than one might think. While you might have thought only of rugged hiking trails in the past, there is now a well-maintained 'Barrier-Free Sharing Trail' made of a 760m-long wooden deck. Designed so that strollers or wheelchairs can move around with ease, this path is open to families with children or anyone who enjoys walking. Even if you walk slowly from the observatory to the summit, 20 minutes is enough. As you walk along the deck and look down, the ridges of Pyeongchang, with mountain after mountain, spread out like a panorama. The cheerful sound of wheelchair wheels passing over the wooden floor blends with the sound of grass leaves swaying in the wind to complete a peaceful picture.

A Slow Day in Pyeongchang, Enjoying the Surroundings

The charm of Pyeongchang is too deep to visit only Cheongoksan(Mt. Cheongok) and leave. There are many places worth stopping by on the way down. The mysterious 'Cheongoksan(Mt. Cheongok) Dokkaebi(Goblin) Trail', which feels like a place where goblins from legends might appear, is great for walking with children, and it is also good to take a short break at 'Sanneomi Farm', which is attractive for its open meadow scenery. The Suha Valley, with its clear, resonant water sounds, serves as a great resting place to cool off the summer heat. Personally, I recommend visiting in the afternoon, a bit earlier than sunset, when the sunlight shines obliquely onto the vegetable fields. This is because the green color of the highland vegetable fields shines most vividly at this time.

While it is good whenever you visit, I recommend early autumn or early summer when clear skies persist if you want to encounter a sharper landscape. The temperature at the mountain summit is much lower than in the city, so packing a light windbreaker is essential. I hope you will set aside the busyness of daily life for a moment and have your own time at Yukbaekmajigi, the widest courtyard under the sky.