|
| |
 |
|
| ▲ Photo by Steve Oberhauser |
Route: Jeoji Community Center (start, 0.0 km) - Gangjeong Hill (2.7) - rest area with big tree (4) - Mundoji Oreum (5.1) - Jugaheul-gil (5.5) - Jeoji Gotjawal Forest (7) - roe deer resting place (7.5) - animal farm forest path (8.5) - O’Sulloc tea garden (10.3) - Mureung Gotjawal Forest (13.9) - Hang-mul, spring (14.3) - Yeongdongke (15.4) - Inhyang Village (16.7) - Gunam-mul, spring (17.4) - Jeju Culture and Experience Center in Mureung-2-ri (18.8, finish)
---- Course takes about seven hours to complete
Grade: 49.5 (1st overall)
|
A
|
Natural scenery and landscape
|
5.0
|
|
B
|
Conditions of the trail
|
5.0
|
|
C
|
Environmental damage / lack of footprint on the area
|
5.0
|
|
D
|
Bilingual opportunities
|
5.0
|
|
E
|
Crowd control / compared to how many people are using trail
|
5.0
|
|
F
|
Facilities around the area
|
4.5
|
|
G
|
Improvements
|
5.0
|
|
H
|
Park planning / architecture
|
5.0
|
|
I
|
Short-term impression factor
|
5.0
|
|
J
|
Long-term impression factor
|
5.0
|
* rankings explained
Strengths: The minor hits are Mundoji Oreum and O’Sulloc green tea fields. The home run is the long walk through Gotjawal, the pinnacle of nature on Jeju Island. This course reveals Jeju’s best-kept secret to those who do not know; affirmation to those who already do know. Gotjawal is all action, no talk. It is what it is, the best.
Weaknesses: Nada. Nothing is perfect, but this Olle course is close.
English opportunities: Only online, check out the various articles in the links section.
Quotable: “As we walked, it was hard to imagine that this kind of forest, which is unique only to Jeju, even exists at all. The path itself is black because you’re walking on volcanic rocks. The forest is unbelievably dense.
The day was hot, but it was cool in the forest. We had to take our sunglasses off or we couldn’t see where we were walking. Under your feet and all around the forest floor, there seems to only be about an inch of soil supporting these deep, dark, woods.” -- Daniel Kojetin, Jeju Weekly
Links:
Jeju Weekly, Hike Jeju, Day 22
Jeju Weekly, Gotjawal Olle stuns and surprises
Jeju Weekly, Trust fund established to protect one of Jeju’s treasures
Jeju Weekly, Island’s Gotjawal forest is ‘Lung of Jeju’
Jeju Weekly, “Forest of Life, Gotjawal”
Jeju Weekly, No future without nature!
KTO, Course No. 14-1
| |
 |
|
| ▲ Photo by Steve Oberhauser |
|
)
)
