Trails and Adventures From Around the World, by John “Longstride” Bafford
One last day on the Seoul Trail continued to circle around Bukhansan National Park, bringing me back to the Seoul Iris Garden, where I started the trail just over a week ago. Stage 19: Bukhansan Mountain: Seongbuk Course As expected, the bus ride back to the trail was uneventful, and after a few minutes of walking back to the trailhead, I reentered Bukhansan National Park. After two days of rain,…
A dreary and occasionally rainy day dampened the mood as the Seoul Trail began its route through Bukhansan National Park. Stage 17: Bukhansan Mountain: Eunpyeong Course After a quite rainy day yesterday, I returned to Gupabal Station and continued east, almost immediately following Jinpannae Stream, winding in its valley sandwiched between high-rises and separated from the nearby road. The…
A long day took me the rest of the way down Anyangcheon Stream, across the Han River, and across two mountain ridges as I draw closer to the end (and the start!) of the Seoul Trail. After a few hot days, the weather today was cooler, cloudier, and gloomier, with rain forecast for tomorrow. This made today much less photogenic, but at least the sun wasn’t as harsh. Stage 14: Downstream Anyangcheon…
A longer day today went through two very different mountain sections, and a long stretch along a river, in what turned out to be one of the most impressive linear parks I ve hiked through. Stage 11: Gwanaksan Mountain From Sadang Station, the Seoul Trail follows a sidewalk through a neighborhood, then continues along the road leading to Gwaneumsa Temple, passing through an iljumun , the first…
Continuing west along the southern outskirts of Seoul, the trail took me over a few mountain summits. Stage 9: Daemosan and Guryongsan Mountains Practically right from Suseo Station, a staircase led (steeply) up the side of a hill, following a zig-zaggy ridge that would eventually lead to Daemosan Mountain. The first thing I noticed about the trail this morning was the large number of runners out.…
A warm day in Seoul, south of the Han River, took me through several parks and stream valleys. Afterwards, the Lotus Lantern Festival was an enjoyable evening diversion. Stage 7: Iljasan Mountain Starting from Godeok Station, a quick walk brought me back to entrance to Myeongil Neighborhood Park and the start of Stage 7. The trail wasted no time climbing into the well-shaded forest, along a ridge.…
Three more sections on the Seoul Trail take me through several parks, over two mountains, and across the Han River, as I continue my trek around Seoul. Stage 4: Mangusan and Yongmasan Mountains Continuing where I left off at Hwarangdae Station, the trail followed Mukdongcheon Stream, a small stream nestled between walking and cycling paths on either side. Numerous waterbirds, including a heron and…
Today, I started the Seoul Trail, completing its first three sections. After breakfast at my guest house, I made my way to Seoul Station, the nearest subway station, just a couple minutes walk downhill. Servicing four subway lines and several other rail services, the station is a sprawling underground behemoth with fifteen different exits, easily the largest subway station I’ve ever been in.…
After flying in to Seoul from Auckland yesterday, I spent most of today jetlagged as I prepare for starting the Seoul Trail tomorrow. May 12 Yesterday is probably the last time I’ll be in Auckland for quite some time. it’s a little bittersweet to be leaving Auckland and New Zealand, but, as always, life moves on. Though one thing I definitely won’t miss is the constant passive-aggressive…
Circumnavigating South Korea’s capital city, The Seoul Trail is my next hike — and my first long hike in Asia. The Seoul Trail (서울둘레길, Seoul dullegil ) is a 156.5 km (97.2 mile) trail that circles the city, traveling through or along the forests, mountains, rivers, and villages that surround Seoul. Opened in 2014, and significantly revised in 2024, the trail consists of 21 routes, each between 5 -…
For over 1,300 kilometers, from Ship Cove to Bluff, Te Araroa travels across the rugged wilderness of New Zealand’s South Island. Continue reading for a glimpse at what New Zealand — and Te Araroa — have to offer. South Island (Te Waipounamu) After completing the North Island of Te Araroa, I set off to the South Island to complete the trail there. From Wellington, a ferry to Picton , and then…
Over nearly 1,750 kilometers, from Cape Reinga to Wellington, Te Araroa travels across towns, cities, and the diverse landscape of New Zealand’s North Island. Continue reading for a glimpse at what New Zealand — and Te Araroa — have to offer. North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) The North Island was an incredible (though mixed) experience. Starting off at Cape Reinga at the northern tip of New Zealand’s…
Now two years after completing New Zealand’s Te Araroa, I find I still have quite mixed feelings about the trail. Of course, I’m glad I hiked Te Araroa. After completing the Triple Crown of Hiking in the US, the TA was my first epic-length long-distance hike outside of the US. There’s definitely lots of amazing parts to Te Araroa, but also a lot of negatives. Especially after letting the trail sit…
On the north-eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki, one of New Zealand’s most iconic volcanoes, lies the Veronica Loop Track. An easy-to-moderate tramp 4.5 kilometer loop through lush rainforest, this trail provides excellent views of the lowlands surrounding Taranaki, with occasional views to the mountain’s summit. Located in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki (formerly Egmont National Park), a national park…
Most of my hiking has been on wilderness trails. And while I’m quite happy to keep doing that, I wanted to add some variety, and do a hike that was a bit more cultural. This led me to the Tasmanian Trail, which is very much not a wilderness trail. Rather, it’s a walk (or cycle, or horseback ride) through the center of Tasmania, along backcountry roads and through a dozen or two towns and…
Capping off a year of coastal hikes, Walk the Yorke in South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula became my fourth coastal hike in a row. If you like beaches, I highly recommend this trail. Read on to see why. Walk the Yorke Beach Access × Walk the Yorke Beach Access The Trail Walk the Yorke is a 490 kilometer (304 mile) walking trail along the coast of the Yorke Peninsula, connecting Port Wakefield in the…
Our last day on the Tasmanian Trail brought us to its southern terminus in Dover. The Kermandie Hotel had a nice continental breakfast, which we took advantage of. Once we were done, we walked across the street to the “bus stop” a few minutes before our bus arrived. Less than ten minutes later, CareFree and I were back in Geeveston, and set off down the road towards Dover. We had a brief stop at a…
Our penultimate day on the Tasmanian Trail gave us another round of excellent scenery as we made our way to Geeveston, and then a little beyond. Sometime after CareFree and I ducked into our tent last night, two bicycles and another tent arrived. We got to chat with them shortly before we left Judbury. Cycling the Tasmanian Trail, they’re also almost finished, but one of them had several tire…
A dreary, occasionally rainy day brought us over a mountain to Judbury, a small town on the Huon River. Fog covered the treetops when we got up this morning, which slowed us down a little: almost immediately after our campsite, we’d start a long uphill climb, and leaving quickly would just put us in the clouds before they had any time to lift. While we ate breakfast and got packed up, the clouds…
A short, lazy day, we made our way south from New Norfolk to a campsite generously provided to us by the Tasmanian Trail’s Derwent Valley Coordinator. With a very short day today (less than 10 km), CareFree and I were in no rush to leave New Norfolk. We tried to ask for a late checkout, since we forgot to do that last night, but it was too late for that. Apparently, there was only one room to…