[Report] "These days, people who come hiking really just hike"... New Hiking Trends

Changing Hiking Culture Due to COVID-19... From Sunrise Viewers to Hiking Beginners
National Park Visitors Decreased by 22.2% Last November... Bukhansan Down 4.8%
Restaurants on the Way Down Are Quiet

[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] “Sunrise viewing is the peak season, so we prepare rice cake soup every year. Last year, we couldn’t keep up with demand, but yesterday, we sold only one bowl.”

On the morning of the 2nd at 11:30 a.m., near the entrance to Gwanaksan Mountain in the direction of Gwanak Hyanggyo, the alley was quiet. The door of the restaurant ‘Doldamjip’ was firmly closed. Looking through the window with a paper sign that read ‘Tteokguk’ (rice cake soup), the interior was empty. When the reporter knocked on the door, the owner, Mr. Choi (63), came out and sighed, saying, “I closed the door because there were no customers.” He lamented, “The number of hikers recently is about the same as in previous years, but they don’t stop by the restaurant on their way down.”

On the 2nd, the restaurant 'Doldamjip,' located in the alley at the entrance to Gwanaksan Mountain toward Gwanak Hyanggyo, was completely empty at a time when it would have been crowded with hikers last year.
[Photo by Joonhyung Lee]

The hiking culture is changing due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Instead of hiking on New Year’s Day when entry was restricted, hikers chose the following day to watch the sunrise, and after descending, they went straight home without eating nearby. With the closure of indoor sports facilities due to strengthened social distancing, some ‘Deungnini’ (hiking + beginner) also headed to the mountains.

Not Few People Due to Sunrise Viewers and ‘Deungnini’

Gwanaksan Mountain was quieter than usual during the first weekend of the Year of the Ox. However, citizens who came to see the New Year’s sunrise were seen along various hiking trails. Since entry was restricted on New Year’s Day to prevent the spread of COVID-19, these people visited the mountain the next day. Hikers on that day agreed that “the number of people was neither too many nor too few.”

Mr. Kim (38), who came to see the sunrise, said, “I heard that entry was restricted at sunrise yesterday, so I watched the New Year’s sunrise today. I was a bit worried because of COVID-19, but there weren’t as many people as I thought.” Mr. Oh Sang-kwon (57), who lives in Gwacheon and visits here once or twice a week, said, “I came to set goals and plans for the new year. Usually, this is the usual number of people on cold winter weekends.”

At the summit of Gwanaksan, Yeonjudae, on the same day. Citizens who set out for a hike to welcome the first weekend of the new year are taking commemorative photos.
[Photo by Lee Jun-hyung]

Some chose hiking as an alternative to indoor sports. Most said they started hiking around October to November last year when social distancing was strengthened. In fact, hiking has emerged as a new hobby among young people after the spread of COVID-19, giving rise to the new term ‘Deungnini.’ Looking at social media hashtags, ‘hiking’ appears about 3.31 million times, and ‘hikingstagram’ about 620,000 times.

Ms. Song (34), who originally practiced yoga and Pilates, said, “Since October last year, it became difficult to use yoga studios, so I looked for other exercises. I chose hiking because it is outdoors and I thought wearing a mask would not be a big problem.” Mr. Han (37), whom we met at the mountain summit, said, “I used to swim, but since the social distancing level 2.5, I had nowhere to go, so I started hiking. I like it more than I thought, so I visit the mountain once or twice every two weeks.”

Suburban Mountains Near the City: ‘Hikers Holding Up Well’ but ‘Restaurants Are Downhearted’

It appears that the number of visitors to major mountains within the city has not significantly decreased. According to the Korea National Park Service, the number of visitors to national parks in November last year decreased by 22.2% compared to the same month the previous year, but Bukhansan Mountain, located in Seoul and the metropolitan area, decreased by only 4.8%. Despite the sharp decline in outdoor activities due to COVID-19, this is considered a relatively good performance. A Korea National Park Service official explained, “Bukhansan is accessible to individual hikers, not just group hikes. The increase in young visitors and the perception that outdoor mountains are safer seem to have influenced this.”

Benches within Gwanaksan Mountain for hikers. Some benches have been blocked off to prevent resting in order to maintain social distancing.
Photo by Lee Junhyung

On the other hand, restaurants that rely on hikers coming down the mountain were downhearted. Around noon that day, two groups were seated at a restaurant in the alley near Gwacheon Hyanggyo. Mr. Jo (60), who runs another nearby restaurant ‘Hyanggyojip,’ added, “People who come hiking these days really just hike and leave.”

This phenomenon, where local merchants do not enjoy special demand, is expected to continue for the time being. Many hikers avoid dining out due to infection concerns. Ms. Seo Young-eun (69), who came to the mountain with her husband after a long time, said, “I came out because I felt suffocated staying at home, but I am actually worried. I plan to go straight home after finishing the hike.”