“Team
checkout”, consisting of Lothar Hennighausen, Ulrich Schoenemann and Kim Sung
Hak (KoRa #1, #2 and #304) rode the “Great Korean Triangle” and each side of
the triangle was unique and yielded a different experience. We passed through
six provinces (Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do,
Gangwon-do and Chungcheongbuk-do), each of them unique. It was Buddha’s
birthday and the weather turned out to be perfect (although we had to battle
some headwinds going north into Yangyan). Here, are some of the highlights (GPX
waypoints to interesting restaurants, Jimjilbangs, Yeogwans and bike repair
shops).
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| Namwon |
DAY 1: We left
Gwangju at the crack of dawn heading east on quiet country roads to our first control
in Namwon (km 68). Our legs were
still fresh and, with the exception of one moderate climb, this was an easy
stage. The second stage to Hapcheon
(km 169) skirted the majestic Jiri-san, which was in full view for most of the
morning. The long climb towards the end of this stage was rewarded by a
thrilling descend and lunch in Hapcheon. This stage was the most challenging on
day 1. Stage 3 to Yangsan was very
pleasant and we enjoyed the long stretch on the bike trail along the Nakdong. At
sunset we arrived in Yangsan, the
 |
| Heading east from Gwangju |
end of the first side of the triangle. After
a good meal of 돈가스 (Donkkaseu) we embarkedonto the first night
stage.
Around midnight we passed through Gyeongju,
capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla. As the night progressed temperatures
dropped and the bubble wrap we found in the trash at a CVS turned out to be a great
insulator.
DAY 2: As the sun rose over the East Sea
we arrived in the port city of Gangguhuang (강구항), the world’s capital for
Yeongdeok Daegae crabs, also known as King crabs (아름
 |
| Yangsan |
답다) and big sculptures everywhere are a vivid reminder. However, when we
arrived none of the restaurants serving crabs were open and we had tosettle
with breakfast at the CVS. We continued riding north and followed the coastal
road, passing through small fishing villages and resort towns. The tourists had
come out in full force to take advantage of the 4-day holiday weekend, with
perfect weather. Just in time for lunch we found a restaurant (gpx link) that
served the world’s best “cold Sashimi soup” and the owner offered a room for a
short post-lunch nap.
 |
| Gangguhuang |
Next,
our control in Uljin, home of one of
the four nuclear power plants of Korea. Sung Hak had lived here and worked at
the power plant 25 years ago and it was like a home coming for him. As the
afternoon progressed, the headwind grew stronger and we worked well as a team to
minimize its impact. Soon we entered Gangwon-do, the most northern province of
South Korea, and approached Donghae. Typically for a Sunday afternoon, weekend
tourists returned to theirhome and traffic was quite heavy. The many signs in
Cyrillic (Russian) and Japanese were a clear reminder of the ferry connections
to Russia and Japan and the many tourists enjoying this part of Korea. For us
the enjoyment was arriving at the Mukho
control well ahead of schedule.
With
daylight fading we continued north along the coastline,
 |
| Gangguhuang |
passing scores of
resort towns with even more restaurants, all of them packed with tourists
enjoying the great seafood of Korea. Gangneung
(강릉시) is the last larger city before
the turnaround in Yangyang, and with its scores of Yeogwans and 24 hour saunas
(Jimjilbang -찜질방) a
perfect place for a short sleep stop.The Jimjilbang in Gangneung provided an
amazing experience, not only because of its sheer size (three floors of
sleeping rooms) but also because it was completely packed and people sleeping
like sardines. Of note for those fond of winter sports, indoor events in the
2018 Olympics will be held in Gangneung. Yangyang:
by the end of day 2 we had finished the second arm of the triangle
 |
| Cold Sashimi soup |
and we
headed south-west, heading home. NOTE: we had shipped a Taekbae package with
spare clothes to the control in Yangyang and this worked out just fine. The
owner of the 7-Eleven was very friendly and he suggested we change our clothes
in the corner with the microwave. Korea is just a very practical andaccommodating country. After purchasing sufficient food to keep the owner happy
and our stomachs full we mailed the packages with the old clothes back and started
the third side of the triangle.
DAY 3: This was a long day with many climbs (and
 |
| After the soup ... |
descends) and even more beautiful vistas. A highlight was visiting Pyeongchang,
host of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Extensive road construction is a harbinger of
the big event and riders need to be cautious on the long downhill stretches
between Jangpyeong and Pyeongchang, the road is in rather poor conditions and
traffic is heavy. We stopped in Pyeongchang for lunch andthought about
including Randonneuring as sport for the Winter Olympics. On this stage
mountain ranges to the left and right accompanied us all day. The list climb befor
Danyang was quite spectacular as the
road meandered along the mountain side overlooking vast valleys. We arrived in
Danyang at the end of a big festival and the military
 |
| Jimjilbang |
police directing traffic
were a reminder of the event.
Leaving
Danyang in the still warm afternoon sun, we continued to head southwest
through, yet, another mountain range and reached our nextcontrol in Sangju long after the sun had set. As
night fell on the way to Sangju, the temperatures dropped again and a coffee
machine outside a country restaurant drew us into its ban, but it was broken.
Instaed the restaurant owner invited us to come in and served coffee and rice
crackers to the hungry and cold randonneurs. Suddenly his daughter
 |
| Before Danyang |
started
speaking almost impeccable English. How can this be in the middle of nowhere?
Well, she had been a missionary for two years in Los Angeles. Sangju: again,
the Jimjilbang was the place to rest for a few hours. Unlike the mega
Jimjilbang in Gangneum, the one in Sangju was provincial, but served its
purpose and the 7,000 won was just the right price.
DAY 4: Buddha’s
birthday – perfect weather and even better company. As the ride progressed through
day 3 and 4, some of roads became familiar, as they overlapped with other Brevets
out of Cheonan,
 |
| Our control in Danyang |
Gwangju, SBS and likely several Fleche routes. The area around
Geumsan must be hub for a number of Brevets. As the day progressed traffic
became very light as the 4-day weekend had come to an end. While the beginning
of a 1200K is always filled with the excitement of new experiences and great
lunch and dinner stops, legs and minds are getting tired as the event draws to
an end. In sum, this is not an easy 1200k, probably a little more difficult
than last year’s out of Gwangju. But this might be just a psychological trickas the “Great Korean triangle” is just such an impressive image covering a
large part of the country. I have covered many roads in Jeolla-do and
Chungcheong-do and tremendously
 |
| Bubble wrap against the cold |
enjoyed the Brevets out of Gwangju and Cheonan.
But this GR1200, the Korean triangle, gives you an even better perspective of
this great country. Cycling for a full day along the East Sea and cherishing the
great seafood was unforgettable, as was crossing the peninsula from the
northeastern province of Gangwon-do to the southwestern province of
Jeollanam-do.
The “Great
Korean Triangle” is a showcase of South Korea
