Stocking Up

I got a big breakfast and stocked up on lunch, snacks, and water for my big hike. While checking out, the cashier gave me two extra tea bottles — apparently I had missed a promotion. I was hesitant about carrying more weight, but as soon as she said “free,” I was sold.

Getting There

I took the metro and then the bus to the start of Dragon’s Back. I had my phone out to navigate, but there was a group of boomers in hiking gear I could follow. The bus took me all the way to Shek O, going far away from the center, but even out there the skyscraper problem persisted.

The Dragon’s Back

The Dragon’s Back was an easy hike that was supposed to take me four hours. I was feeling great and had a good pace, overtaking the boomers within the first kilometer. The views were nice, showing the trail leading back toward the city. The climate was very different here — no large trees, mostly shrubbery — and the wind was strong, which made for great climate control.

I finished the trail in two hours and felt like I had only just started. I took some time to rest, had some food, and drank some of my extra tea. I took out my phone and planned another route. Another trail would peak pretty close to where I was, but my navigation sent me all the way around the area, adding a big detour. I didn’t trust it, so I started walking again.

The Twins

I should have trusted it, because I ended up walking along a road meant for cars. There was one pretty scary part with a sharp turn where drivers had no visibility, and I was scared I was going to get run over. But I refused to take the 45-minute detour when the trail entrance was right there (somewhere). I eventually hopped a fence, did some off-roading, and managed to reconnect with the trail.

I walked along the paved road, passing many wide water reservoirs, stunning vistas, and a blocked-off hidden waterfall — all while catching up on my podcasts.

I took another break before the big climb up the “Twins,” the two mountains I had glimpsed while hiking Dragon’s Back. That break was a good call, because the climb was intense. It was steep, rising about 250 meters in elevation in less than a kilometer.

While climbing, I started imagining things again. These two mountains symbolized this trip. The first big hill was getting here:

All the planning
The paperwork
Convincing my work to let me do this
Building this blog
Studying Korean for five years

At this point, sweat was dripping. I finally reached the “top,” but I wasn’t done yet. There was another hill.

This one represented all the struggles I had during the trip:

Adapting to the culture
Finding my groove in Seoul
Trying to make friends
Missing out on tickets
Balancing work and adventure

When I finally conquered that second hill, I felt amazing. I thought to myself, “Is there something I can’t do?” With every step I take, I get closer to my goals — and eventually I reach them. I proved to myself that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.

From the top, I got some stunning views, rewarding me for all my hard work.

When I descended the hill, I ended up at another bus stop. I considered heading back to the hotel. It was 15:00, I had been hiking for four hours, but I was riding my high — so I made the decision to continue.

Devil Claw

I made the wrong decision. The rest of the hike wasn’t nearly as eventful. I got stuck in a small park and hiked through a neighborhood where the only notable sights were big villas, expensive cars, and white people.

When I eventually reached the trail, it wasn’t nearly as well maintained as the others, so I spent time crawling under branches and worming my way around bushes. I eventually got up on a big rock and got a decent view, but I had burned through all my endorphins on the previous leg.

I got off the rocks and raced back toward civilization, catching the first bus I saw. When I got back to the hotel, I was exhausted. I took a shower, ate all the snacks in my bag, and took another nap.

Dinner

When I arose from my slumber, it was time for dinner. I had originally planned to visit a street restaurant with good seafood dishes (I wanted to try the “spicy crab”), but the internet told me they didn’t serve single-person portions — and the street atmosphere felt too hectic for my current state. So I went back to the diner, had a baked rice dish, and called it a day.

I had a nice day of hiking, but I probably should have stopped earlier. The last leg wasn’t that interesting, and I feel like I pushed myself too hard at the end.

Seems like the one thing I can’t do is pace myself.