In this informal, bilingual hiking vlog, the creator documents a solo trek to the Korean peak 고당봉. The video opens with a warm‑up stretch, gear check, and air‑quality confirmation before heading out on a 2‑km trail that takes about an hour. Along the way the vlogger visits a quiet temple, comments on Korean hiking etiquette, and observes local hikers (ajumas and ajasis) with admiration. The narrative mixes personal challenges—steep rocky sections, a dreaded stair climb, fatigue—and cultural reflections, comparing Korean trails to past hikes in Seoraksan, Jirisan, the U.S. Appalachian Trail, Angels Landing, and Norway. The vlogger emphasizes environmental responsibility, mentioning Leave No Trace certification and cleaning up the trail. After reaching the summit, the creator celebrates with a photo at the marker, enjoys panoramic fall foliage, and later shares a post‑hike meal featuring Korean snacks and makgeolli, noting the drink’s effects. Throughout, the host intersperses Korean greetings and phrases, encouraging viewers to learn language through real‑world experiences. The vlog concludes with thanks and a sign‑off.
Chapters
我吃牛尾我才哦. I think we went the wrong way. You can eat the butt. Hey guys! Today I'm going hiking. The weather is beautiful. I checked the air quality and thankfully it's looking pretty good today. Let's warm up and stretch a little bit before I hit the trail. Gotta loosen up these legs. How's my balance? Oh, not bad. Oh, my muscles are tight. Fit check! I have a zip-up on because I always like to dress in layers while hiking. I have a hat on and a backpack full of supplies, and of course I wore my hiking boots. I'm ready. Let's check the trail map to see which route I'll be taking. I want to go to the peak today. 고당봉 . That's where we're headed today. And we are here. Okay, our course is about 2 kilometers and it says it should take about an hour, but I guess that depends on how many snack breaks I take. Let's go. 안녕하세요. I came across a temple here. It's so peaceful listening to the sounds of nature. It's my dream to do a temple stay one day. It's on my Korea bucket list. Keep out, meditation in progress. Are we almost there? We just got to the foot of the mountain. Come on, cameraman, put a little pep in your step. Power walking, walking dead. The trail is a little bit rocky and steep at times, but there's lots of shade, so I'm happy. Annyeonghaseyo. Those ladies were very honest saying I was still very far from the top. In the US, it's kind of an unspoken rule. If somebody asks that, you have to say, "You're almost there," even if you're very far. Am I almost to the top? You're almost there. You're almost there. Why do I feel like we've walked a 5K already though? Our course is about 2 kilometers. Time for a water break. I'm out of shape. I need to catch my breath. I'm so sweaty. Okay, let's go. We have this whole trail all to ourselves. I think we went the wrong way because I've seen a few people going downhill, but nobody else is going up the mountain on this path like we are. We saw a few ajumas and ajasis though, and wow, I always admire the ajumas and ajasis hiking in Korea. They always have their walking sticks and all their gear, and they just have such amazing stamina. Honestly, I'm always the one having to let them pass because they're so fast and strong. Almost there, come on, we gotta power through. It's the home stretch here, but I see my biggest enemy when hiking: the stairs. Dun dun dun! I hate the stairs. Ah! This is such an amazing view, and the leaves are changing colors. It reminds me of home. Michigan has beautiful fall colors. I was hoping we'd catch them this year. Yes! Kaza! I'm procrastinating. I'm putting off these stairs. No! Okay, busted. I'm not too sure-footed. Gotta use my whole body. We made it to the peak. Woohoo! I have to take a picture with the marker For proof. It's breathtaking. Hiking is very rewarding. It was a struggle getting to the top, but the views are worth it. A hiking necessity: kimbap. You can eat the butt. I don't like the butt, it's too big. Mm. Mugunji? Chamji? Mugunji. What's your favorite hike you've ever done? I've done a lot of hiking in Korea. I did Jirisan, and my first hike ever in Korea was Seoraksan. We started at 3 AM. I thought we were going to be the only crazy people on the mountain, and there was a line going up the mountain. It was a really hard hike, but I met some of my best friends in Korea on that hike. What about out of Korea? Oh, some of the hikes in the national parks in the US were amazing, like Angels Landing. Also Norway. It honestly felt like we were on another planet. It was just so beautiful. Gotta keep the trail clean. No littering. Before I went on the Appalachian Trail, I had to get Leave No Trace certified. It's to make sure that when I'm hiking and camping in the wilderness, I leave it in better condition than when I found it. Always clean up after yourself. Let's take a look with the binoculars. Whoa, I can see the apartments. Oh, oh, there's a really pretty bird. I think it's good for bird watching. Watch your step, it's a little steep here. Going down is really hard on my knees. I feel like they're going to give out. It's a little slippery too. Whoa, that's a big drop. I know this is not going to look cool on camera, okay? Trail running. There's so many huge boulders I didn't know I was going bouldering today. Woohoo! I see signs of life. We made it! Wow, another great view of the fall colors. They're stunning. The camera just doesn't capture its beauty. Oh, someone feeds you well, huh? Can we take him home? I think he's captive here. That's true. I love Korea. You guys think of everything. We don't have this in the US. Let's clean up and get all the dust and bugs and nasty stuff off me. Food. Annyeonghaseyo. Makkali Johnson. Pajeon hanara. Dotorimo hanara. Dongdongyu. Food at the bottom of a mountain is always the best. I love acorn jelly, and I heard that it's handmade here, so it must be great. I also got some Dongdongju. I love traditional Korean alcohol, but I'm not gonna lie, it always gives me a killer headache the next day. I hope that's not the case tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Cheers! Ah, post-hike makgeolli hits different. Mmm, let's dig in. Mmm, I love however they season this. It's addicting. I'm starving after that hike. I'm content. I'm already forgetting about how tired I was. Hiking up that mountain. This is making it all better. I'm going to enjoy the rest of my meal. Thank you so much for watching and see you next time. Bye!
