Why Korea?

South Korea is a modern and safe nation with stunning peaks and trails that reveal her rich culture and history. It is a friendly host with fantastic cuisines. It is the new destination for visitors to North East Asia. Please visit the South Korea Hikes page in the above Menu bar for a list of what hikes I do. But, remember my guided hikes are tailor made to suit your demands, so I can go anywhere in Korea. Contact me via the WhatsApp or Messenger icons floating at the bottom of this site. Or email me at [email protected]. Thank you.

HIKEKOREA

Mountain Hiking in Korea

HIKE KOREA formed in December 2009. It is a provider of guided hikes to foreign visitors to Korea. A registered individual company run by New Zealander Roger Shepherd, it specialises in customised guided mountain hikes all over South Korea and before covid-19 also ran a once a year, unique 6N/7D hiking expedition on the untouched Paektu plateau in North Korea. Korea is a mountainous land. The Korean people with their own language and customs are apart from China and Japan. Mountains have always formed their backdrop and are therefore ingrained in their psyche. They can be heard in their folk music, national anthems, poetry and literature. They can be seen in their arts and crafts. Even their ancient indigenous religion depicts all mountains as having a spirit (san-shin 산신) and its ridges containing geomantic vital life-giving energies called pungsu-jiriIts land is riddled with old trails (yet-gil) that reach between villages, temples, and towns, often scaling mountain passes to do so. In modern Korea, these trails have been extended for recreational usage, traversing everywhere, between peaks, along ridges, through forests, into villages, temples, tracing rivers and coastlines, and through towns and cities. There are now 22 mountain, marine, and historic national parks in South Korea and several more provincial and recreational parks and forests. Merge all this with an ancient grid of old and new trails, then Korea is like a giant labyrinth, and when exploring it on foot it feels like the smallest-biggest country in the world. For your next visit to Asia, why not consider Korea?

Oxfam Trailwalker Korea: Roger Shepherd of Hike Korea is a Public Ambassador for the Oxfam Trailwalker Event in South Korea. This year his team "White Crow Brewery' will walk 100kms to help raise funding to fight global poverty. The event is to be held in Inje-gun, Kangwon-do province May 25-26th. You can sponsor his team at this link, White Crow Brewery

Bio: Hike Korea by Roger Shepherd has also published five books. With Korean State Broadcaster, MBC TV he has also made two-50-minute documentaries of his work on the Baekdu Daegan mountain system in North Korea. His photographic work announces the Baekdu Daegan mountain system as the spine of Korea, uniting the mountains and people as one nation. His photographic work of this 1400km mountain system has been exhibited widely in both North & South Korea, Japan and New Zealand. He is also a Public Ambassador for Oxfam Korea Trailwalker, and an Honorary Citizen of the district of Gangbuk in Seoul. Read his abstract here.

Duke of Edinburgh Award Adventurous Journeys are conducted by HIKE KOREA in South Korea as an External Activity Provider. If you are an International School participating in the DofE Award Program and are interested in bringing your students to South Korea for an exciting outdoor backpacking experience, please contact me. I have a range of Bronze, Silver and Gold Medal courses waiting for you.

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Wild hikes with Hike Korea.

Wild hikes with Hike Korea. ...