Trail Specs & Details

Distance: 10.5km return
Elevation Gain: 904m
Starting Elevation: 530m
Highest Elevation: 1444m
Time: ~4 hours
Trail Type: Out-and-back
Trail Difficulty: Started quite gently, but turned very steep.
BAC 100: ✅ Official summit on the Black Yak 100 Peaks Challenge

Bangtaesan in Winter

Day 2 of my 2026 Gangwon-do winter hiking trip meant another two hour drive, this time from Odaesan up to Inje. I set my navigation, grabbed a coffee, and headed north. Today’s mountain was Bangtaesan.

I was hoping for real snow.

Frozen Waterfalls to Start

Soon after starting, I passed some frozen waterfalls off the roadway. They were beautiful, but I didn’t stop for long.

The trail began gently enough. A steady incline, nothing dramatic. There was snow and ice scattered along the path, but not quite enough to justify spikes yet. I had to slow down in a few places and step carefully. That awkward in between stage where you’re thinking, probably soon… but not yet.

For a while, I had the trail entirely to myself. The soft crunch under my boots brought me back to my childhood in Canada.

Time for Spikes

Eventually I caught up to a few hikers stopped in front of a large sheet of ice. They were putting on their spikes, so I stopped and put mine on too.

After that, the snow gradually became more consistent. Every turn seemed a little whiter than the last. I could feel my mood lifting with it. I really wanted a proper winter hike, not just a dusting.

The Climb That Humbled Me

Then the trail got steeper.

And steeper.

My conditioning for this trip was not great. A combination of things made my breathing feel harder than it should have. I took more breaks than I normally would. Nonetheless I carried on to the peak.

The Ridgeline and Real Snow

When I finally reached the ridgeline, though, everything changed.

It wasn’t just scattered patches anymore. It was proper snow. Thick enough to completely cover the trail.

Even though I was tired, seeing that snow covered path ahead of me gave me a little boost. The final push toward the peak felt lighter mentally… even if my body disagreed.

A Quick, Cold Summit

At the top, I met a few friendly hikers and we exchanged the usual chit chat.

I took photos at both the main summit stone and the wooden summit marker nearby.

The wind was brutally cold. The kind that goes straight through you. I snapped my photos and didn’t stay long.

Back to odaesan and Something Warm

The descent was straightforward, and my thoughts slowly shifted to two things…

The two hour drive back.

And hot food.

I stayed at Odaesan Healing Town Moonlight Pension and ended up at 경남식당 for the second night in a row. The name pulled me in the first time. I can’t ignore “경남” when I see it. There were plenty of restaurants nearby, but it was warm, reliable, and close.