Hiking Yeongchwisan - The Pink Mountain: Part 1

Following our recent trip to Yeosu, Angela and I joined Seoul Hiking Group on the final leg of our spring adventure: climbing Yeongchwisan. This mountain on the Yeosu Peninsula is famous for being one of the first places where azaleas bloom in the spring. At this time of year, the flowers turn the summit of the mountain almost entirely pink. It took us a few hours to ascend and descend the mountain, and on the way we saw some breathtaking views of the nearby valleys and islands.

We arrived by bus in a small town nestled in the valleys.

We had to walk through the backstreets of the town to get to Yeongchwisan, which lay ahead. From down here it didn't look particularly pink, and some of us had a feeling it was going to disappoint.

A strange bump; possibly a burial mound?

Looking back down at the town in which we started.

From this point, the pink tones of the summit became clearer.

Passing the first few azaleas.

Before we knew it, were surrounded by glorious pink bushes.

Angela stands before the pink summit. 

Angela used one of the flowers as a hair accessory. 

At one point we climbed through a corridor - almost a tunnel - of pink azaleas. It felt like something out of a romantic postcard.

Getting closer to the summit.

Click here to continue the adventure in Part 2!