Jeffrey Hanna is an Australian medical doctor. On a 2009 sabbatical to Korea he worked at the International Vaccine Institute, near the SNU campus. His work regarded a vaccine for dengue fever.
Jeff sent me an email. “I went to a bookshop in Seoul to look for a book about the Injim Wars, but was (immediately) sidetracked by your Baekdu Daegan book, which I promptly purchased. Consequently, I shall be commencing the hike from Jiri-san in early April, with the intention of completing it by early June. Fingers crossed.”
He was to be the first Aussie. “Why the Baekdu Daegan” I asked?
“I decided that a long-haul hike such as this was something I should do at least once in my life. I had previously undertaken several-day and weekend-hikes in Korea and I had enjoyed them very much. The camaraderie with fellow Korean hikers, the sublime beauty of the temples in the mountains, the hospitality of small towns and rural villages all added to the experience. So, now that I had a guidebook, why not?”
With his wife’s encouragement and blessing, Jeff started walking in early April 2011. At that time, Doctor Jeffrey Hanna was already ‘61 years old’! I was a little marveled by that! ‘Keen old bastard,’ I thought. By then, the guidebook wasn’t even a year old, and barely any foreigners had trekked it (백두대간) and on top of that I thought Aussies preferred the desert and heat? ‘Therefore what type of nut was Jeff to be starting in early April?’ I muttered, ‘and, it’s still damn cold up there in the mountains too.’
Later that month, Grandpa Jeff emailed me again.
“Apologies for not replying sooner, but the internet can be elusive while on the 백두대간! I found out that it may not be advisable to start the 백두대간 from the south in April. This is because I found not only were most National Park shelters closed in April, but also some access routes to the open parts of the park were either closed or not available in April.”
I reeled back in my chair. I had let that old man down. I forgot about the winter fire-season closures, and didn’t tell him. There was nothing in the guidebook either. I’d imagined it must have been extremely frustrating for him. I wondered how he countered that?
“Not only have the above closures affected my planned hiking itinerary, but the weather has also played a role too! I have had several days where I just lay low in a motel or 민박 to let a storm pass over. Fortunately, although I have camped out on several nights, I have not yet been caught on the 백두대간 by wild weather.”
April 2011 had been a mean month, so I wonder how Jeff is coping?
“Anyway, I am definitely thriving on the hike, even if I may not finish it this visit. Two nights ago I had barking deer – several of them – very close to my tent, with owls hooting further away…………as for the friendliness and kindness of the locals; another story!”
On May 4th, Jeff emailed again. He’s upbeat!
“I’m going to quit the job and keep walking forever…in Korea!”
I stepped off the aircraft from my first ever visit to Pyongyang and into the transit lounge at Beijing airport. Through the large windows I looked out at the Air Koryo jet I had just flown in on. Parked next to it was the Korean Air jet that I was about to fly back to Seoul on. I felt blank. So, I sat down and opened my laptop to check emails. It was May 21st, and I quickly saw Jeff’s one sent only the day before.
He was struggling.
“After about a month of hiking, I have had to quit for the time being. The main factor has been fatigue, with the long daily hikes and perhaps not enough calories going in. I was carrying a heavy load (including a tent, sleeping bag, cooker and food supplies), and had to accept that it was just too great a load for me. (I should mention that I am 61 years of age, and was hiking alone; adequate excuses?).”
Earlier, Jeff had asked me about 미륵사지.
“I found Mireuk-saji sublime, and another of Korea’s wonderful secrets. The ambience of the place is superb, with apple orchards, the surrounding Worak mountains, and generally a quiet rural setting. As for the stone Buddha – stunning, superb, unique – the photo in your book really does not do it justice! I really recommend that you include a photo of Mireuk-saji that includes the huge stone turtle as well as the Buddha, with the mountains towering as a backdrop.”
I kept his photo for the next edition.
“The 백두대간 is a tough course, Korean mountains are hard and plentiful. I admire you for what you have done by yourself and seeing Korea this way.” I hit the send button. That was it, no more Jeff, I thought.
Then, out of the blue, I got an email from Jeff. I began reading it, the ol’ bugger was back on the trail! It was June 8th, 2011.
“I have returned to the mountains. I hiked up to Sobaek-san’s Biro-bong with scores of colorfully clad woman hikers, even though it was mid-week. The spring flowers were bursting into bloom.”
Ha! Jeff hadn’t quit! He was up in the mountains frolicking in the wild flowers with a bunch of frisky ajjuma’s. That’ll cheer him up!
“Then I returned south, and have just hiked through 덕유산. A kind soul phoned for a taxi for me from the 신풍령 정자 so I slept in a motel last night (my body deserved it!). Tomorrow back to 지리산.”
Body deserved it? Surely, because of the mountains and not the ajjuma’s?
We kept in touch and before he went back to Oz, I asked him what had been special about the hike?
“Certainly, that indescribable feeling of doing something a bit out of the ordinary, and that satisfaction of being up there alone, with sounds drifting up from farms and villages way down in the valleys below. Then there are the obvious features of the trail, like stunning views with endless series of valleys, ridges and peaks, sounds such as the rattling of a woodpecker’s drill and the calls of barking deer on adjacent ridges in the early hours of the morning, walking along ancient, ancient fortress walls, detours down to temples of extreme beauty nestled in among lower ridges that extend way up to the trail ridge.”
I assumed Jeff was done with the 백두대간. But on July 10th, he emailed me again.
“I am in Cairns, at work, with many pleasant memories of my stay, and particularly of my hike on Baekdu-daegan. I do want to return, perhaps next year, to continue with the trail. I would like to hike in autumn next time, perhaps in October, so as to avoid hopefully those chilly days that behave like winter hangovers.”
Jeff was talking rubbish, because he didn’t come back next year…better yet, Grandpa Jeff returned that same year in October (2011)!
“Roger, just a brief note to let you know that I shall be spending most of October back in Korea. Indeed, most of it back on the Baekdu Daegan, but I want to visit 미륵사지 again too! I hope to eventually get as far as Taebaek, but we shall have to wait and see.”
It was exciting news!
In October I was about to depart for DPRK again when I got an update from him. So we had a quick chat.
“This time around has been so much more enjoyable, without the icy blasts trying to gale-force me off the trail! Indeed, the weather has been near perfect, and I have had views that because of rain, cloud or general haze, I was not aware of before. The colors too have been spectacular, lushness instead of the burnt post-winter drabness, some autumnal colors, and the golden valleys filled with rice awaiting the harvest.”
He was quite the poet ol’ Jeff.
“A memorable moment was having lunch in the sun on top of 삼도봉 1249m (대덕면 경북도), with the world at my feet and looking back at 삼봉산 1254m (고제면 경남도) across the valley, and huge, the biggest I have ever seen, mountain swifts dropping over the ridge at turbo-speed, with sonic sounds from their wings carving through the air. Cosmic – well, almost!”
What the hell was he doing back down there, I thought? Has he lost his mind? I hope he thinks he’s going the right way?
Anyway I decided to ask him if he’d been to 미륵사지 again?
“I spent several more peaceful hours there – wonderful place.” His answer was Zen.
Curious, I asked, “are you a religious or spiritual man Jeff?
“I am not particularly religious, but have a deep respect for people of God, regardless of faith. I found many of the mountain temples in Korea places of profound beauty, both extrinsic and intrinsic.”
“Hmmm, do you believe in reincarnation then?”
“No idea about reincarnation, there is too much to do in this current lifetime!”
A blunt yet sharp answer. I move on. “Did you start back at Sobaek-san?”
“I was well into the morning, heading up 유도봉 1059m from 저수령, when I spied a group of seven men – hikers in fact. They were from 거제도, an island near 통영, and most all seemed to be taxi drivers? They not only fed me, but were otherwise great company.”
“Okay, what’d ya eat?”
“They set up a table among the leaves off the track, using some sort of groundsheet. Several had a small folding chair in their day packs. My lunch items were ‘an insult’ compared to the items they pulled out of their packs.”
“Why? What were you carrying?”
“Cracker biscuits and a tube of Vegemite!”
“Only that?” Even I was ashamed.
Vegemite is a black colored food paste made from leftover brewer’s yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It was created in Australia in 1922. Like Kimchi, let’s just say it has a taste acquired from birth.
“So did your new friends taste the vegemite?”
“Upon seeing and smelling it, they flatly and vigorously refused it! But one of the taxi drivers, perhaps from sympathy, did say he would try it with a cracker. So, as he slowly nibbled away, we all watched the sticky blackness crumble dryly into his mouth, and then as we saw his eyes tighten and his face start to screw up, we all looked at each other and held back our laughter, but despite that he still managed to declare that it was ‘mashisseoyo!’ With that we let out a chorus of loud laughter. We could all tell that he thought it was ghastly!”
“Ha ha, what’d they offer you in return then?”
“Not as mean, but yes, they offered me oysters. As I was about to slip one down my throat, one of them told me it was ‘Korean Viagra.’ Amused, I paused momentarily and giggled. We were all old men on a mountain, so there was much mirth when he said that.”
“Ha! I’ve had that happen before.” I reply. “I tell Koreans that in New Zealand we eat mountain oysters. They look puzzled when I tell them that? ‘Oyster, on mountain how find?’ They inquire. Grabbing my nuts, I tell them, ‘they are sheep balls, or testicles. They have same Viagra effect as oyster. So we call them mountain oysters.’”
I returned again from DPRK in early November, and I saw another update from Jeff.
“Had a great 3 weeks in Korea, re-doing bits of the trail and forging ahead a little. So, I shall probably return in October next year (2012) to continue on northwards.”
“Bloody Hell, the tough ol’ bastard just keeps coming back for more!”
Unfortunately, Jeff hasn’t been able to complete his passion for the Baekdu Daegan, yet.
“Although I have been back to Korea several times since for work, or to take my wife on holiday, I have yet to return to the trail. I planned to last autumn (2015), but family matters took priority. I still very much would like to continue and get to 설악산, maybe this autumn 2016?”
“Then, is it an important ambition for you to complete the 백두대간?” I ask.
“Yes, I would very much like to continue on the 백두대간. It is still possible that I shall return to continue.”
Good on ya mate!
Published on June 20, 2016 (Daum crowd funding series).
