This footage was taken by me on the early morning of October 13th at the summit area of Three-Province Peak [삼도봉] where I had camped the night before. More information about the peak below:
The summit and monument are along the Baekdu-Daegan Trail [백두대간], a cross-country mountain hiking trail spanning the length of Korea. I’ve been hiking along it since mid-September.
The monument is the exact meeting point of political-borders of Jeolla, Gyeongsang, and Chungcheong Provinces [전라, 경상, 충청]. Each side of the triangular monument is in a different province, so my feet were planted in each one during this short video.
This is kind of a special place for Koreans, I think, because the three regions (roughly) have had a long history of rivalry and conflict going back thousands of years, which is still seen today. (The regional voting patterns in every election, including 2012, bear this out — the southeast [Jeolla] votes 90% for the “left-wing” party and the southwest [Gyeongsang] votes 90% for the “right-wing” party.)
Height: 1,176 meters above sea level.
Year of Monument Construction: 1990.
Weather Conditions: Cold but clear [on Oct. 13th, 2013]
Time Video Was Made: Around 6:30 AM
Other People at Summit Area: None
Other Features of the Summit Area: Explanatory sign; helipad [0:32] (outlined in white); benches; direction markers leading to three other trails, (1) to the Mulhan Valley [물한계곡], (2) to another peak in the area, or (3) Further along the Baekdu-Daegan Trail.
NOTE: The helipad is visible in the distance at 0:32 in the video. It is constructed on a partly-artificially-raised, broad, flat, dirt surface, creating a four-foot-high dirt wall to the north. I camped just below that “wall” to block some of the wind. It was cold at 1,176 meters above sea level (3,860 feet) that morning.
Nice views! I almost feel like I am there on that trail sometimes when I see some of your stunning pictures and read the descriptions. Three Province Peak reminds me of Four Corners in the US where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah come together and you can be in four states at once! Thanks for sharing these South Korean treasures.
I’m glad to have been able to share and I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I think what makes this scenery so much better is that I encountered it alone, nine times out of ten. The least enjoyable parts of this long trip have been when lots of other people around (usually in national parks). At Three Province Peak I was all alone.