Seongsan Ilchulbong, often called Sunrise Peak, is one of the most recognisable landmarks on Jeju, and many holidays to the island would include a tour and climb up the crater. The crater was formed by a volcanic eruption beneath the sea thousands of years ago. Visitors can walk a well-maintained trail that leads to the rim of the crater, and walk a fairly short section around it.
We climbed up Seongsan 20 years ago. Funnily, the wife remembers very little of the visit back in 2006, and I had to keep showing her pictures we took then to prove that we did visit and climb up to the summit to see the crater at the top. The Airbnb we’re staying for a single night is located at the foot of Seongsan, so just a quick 3 minute walk to the start-point.
We’d initially planned a before-dawn ascent, as a key highlight for more adventurous visitors is to catch the morning sunrise at the summit. Though yesterday night, we decided not to try it, on account that we were basically not really prepared to do that kind of morning climb in likely total darkness. Instead, we did an early morning climb that started at 6:55AM, and reached the peak at 7:35AM. The climb was certainly more exhausting than I remembered it 20 years ago – no doubt because I’m no longer 35! But it’s certainly doable for almost everyone – just take your time. The climb begins with a walk on a gentle incline, but thereafter it’s steps all the way, with the occasional benches and pavilions for folks to catch their breath. Timing-wise: if you’re in good physical condition, you can probably walk briskly and reach the top in 20 minutes. Thirty minutes if you’re taking your time and breaks, and 45 minutes if you really take it super slow.
The weather was a little less cooperative this time too: it’d rained across the island yesterday, so the morning saw a layer of mist that hid the peak as observed from ground level, and the view down from the summit was likewise somewhat obscured.
The climb down was quick, and each step has anti-slip strips and railings, so a quick sojourn to descend is really quite OK.
Pictures!
