In this blog post, I look back on the journey I took with my friends who climbed Jirisan Mountain with me and reflect on the precious things we didn’t want to forget as we climbed.
The hot summer is coming to an end. It’s time to shift from a sluggish lifestyle to a more energetic one. Don’t you think we need memories to mark this transition?
I received a call from my school friend. He asked how I had been doing. I wondered why he called me out of the blue, but then he suddenly suggested that we go to the mountains. Jirisan, to be exact. He probably didn’t have anyone else to go with. Less than 30 minutes after hanging up, I accepted his invitation. Including me, there were three of us.
It’s been almost five years since we entered college together. We all took two years off to serve in the military. Nevertheless, just like when we were freshmen, we still hang out together at the start of every new semester.
Two weeks later, the three college students gather on a train bound for Gurye, leaving their lives behind. There are many other hikers on the train besides us. It is past midnight, and nine out of ten people are already fast asleep. I desperately want to sleep, but it is not easy to fall into an unconscious state in an unfamiliar environment.
On the edge of a dream, the train pierces the chilly morning air and stops in Gurye. The small station is bustling with people. However, it does not seem to fit with the surrounding landscape. We board a bus and drive for about 40 minutes before arriving at the entrance to Nogodan.
Before embarking on our two-day hike, we steel our resolve and take our first steps into Jirisan. It is still dark, perhaps because the sun has not yet risen. Only three dark figures move silently along the mountain path.
When I was in school, I always said, “Let’s climb Gwanaksan Mountain” after lunch. Gwanaksan Mountain was like a mantra to me. Perhaps I wanted to escape from the monotony of everyday life and escape to the mountains.
The sun slowly rises, and the surroundings become brighter. However, there is still a thick fog. The morning dew wets our hair. We chose the path that follows the ridge to Cheonwangbong Peak on Jirisan Mountain. How far have we climbed? We are already out of breath. We cannot see our surroundings clearly yet. But the air is definitely different from the air in the village below. We climb down the path we worked so hard to climb, and then climb up again. The fog clears here and there, revealing the mountain range and flat land in the distance.
Suddenly, a few drops of rain begin to fall from the sky. We reach the shelter, braving the increasingly heavy rain. We unpack our bags and take out our lunch. We cook ramen again, just like we did in the morning.
It’s been a long time since my friends and I went on an outing together. Whenever we went on an outing, we always had ramen for breakfast. Now, everyone is busy and it’s difficult to find time to get together. On the one hand, I think being busy means that we are all carving out our own lives. But sometimes, it would be nice to get together and take a break from our daily routines.
We start climbing again, pushing through the grass and stepping on rocks. Our bodies are already wet from the rain, and our legs feel like they are about to give out at any moment. When we take a break halfway up the mountain, we always take out chocolate bars and share them. It didn’t taste very good when we were down below, but now that we’re up here, it melts in our mouths. Perhaps it’s compensation for being in the rain for ten hours. The clouds clear and the sun shines down. We can see the Taebaek Mountains in the distance and the Nogo-dan ridge we have been walking along.
We had just finished our military service and were attending school with a new mindset. When we talked about the military, we agreed that it had been difficult for all of us. We were all seriously thinking about what we would do with our lives.
Still climbing up and down the ridge of Jirisan Mountain, the three of us were silent. With only a short distance left to reach the summit of Cheonwangbong Peak, we entered a shelter. We would depart for the summit early the next morning. Before that, we had to get enough food and sleep. Perhaps because it was a mountain, it got dark quickly. With full stomachs, they lay down to sleep. The exhaustion and uneasiness of the day made their sleep all the sweeter. Sleep took hold of their bodies in an instant.
The next day, they woke up at five in the morning. They hadn’t slept so well in a long time. They set off again toward the summit. Perhaps because it was early morning and they were close to the sky, the humidity dampened their bodies. It feels like I am walking in a dream, surrounded by clouds and fog. The summit, which seems to be right in front of me, is hidden from view. I climb and climb.
I still didn’t know what I was studying or where I was going. We will eventually find jobs and move on to somewhere else. Even then, we may still be asking ourselves the same questions.
Cheonwangbong Peak in Jirisan National Park. People cross mountains and rivers to come here. The area is covered with clouds. It feels completely different from what I had imagined. The wind blowing from all directions feels like it has blown through someone’s life. I enjoy the view from the summit and capture the moment in photos. I sit on a rock, eat a chocolate bar, and lose myself in thought. In the face of nature, human existence seems small.
In the future, we may or may not succeed in our respective fields. Success is not important. I think what is important is how we live our lives. How about looking up at God and looking at those around us who need us?
The way down is much easier. We descend Jirisan so quickly that our feet are hot. Fortunately, the sun is shining brightly and the wind is cool. After resting twice, we are almost at the bottom when a sudden rain shower hits us. It rains so hard that we are drenched from head to toe. We leave Jirisan without even having time to take shelter from the rain. Only after leaving Jirisan do we feel that our hike is finally over. All three of us are exhausted.
I think it is difficult to find such good friends in life. We will have more time together in the future than we have spent together so far. I want to call their names often as I live my life.
We experienced a small part of life climbing up and down Jirisan Mountain. We head back to Seoul to return to our respective lives. We have already planned our next get-together. Our bodies are heavy, but our hearts are light. We walk toward them.
