[One Day 10,000 Steps] Gangneung Baugil Weekend Walking Event Reaches 700 Sessions... Approaching 10,000 km Total Distance

The trekking course representing Korea, 'Gangneung Bau-gil,' celebrated the 700th session of the 'Weekend Walk Together' event, which started in 2010, on the 13th.

'Weekend Walk Together' is an event where citizens and tourists walk the entire Gangneung Bau-gil course every weekend. It is one of the core programs of Gangneung Bau-gil. The event, which encompasses the city center, sea, and mountains of Gangneung, has reached 700 sessions, accumulating a distance of about 10,000 km to date. This distance is nearly equivalent to walking from Gangneung to Spain.

The Gangneung Bau-gil Association, which organizes the Weekend Walk Together event, received a commendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism last year. It was recognized for its contribution to revitalizing domestic walking travel routes by operating various walking programs such as the Haeparang-gil walk, the Ultra Bau-gil 100 km survey, and the Gangneung Bau-gil citizen walk.

Gangneung Bau-gil is a course that walks along the mountain range and sea from Baekdudaegan to Gyeongpo and Jeongdongjin. The total length is about 400 km. It consists of 21 sections in total: 17 general sections and 4 special Bau-gil sections (Ultra Bau-gil, Valley Bau-gil, Daegwallyeong Bau-gil, Olympic Ari Bau-gil). 'Bau' means rock in the Gangwon-do dialect. Close friends are also called 'Gamja Bau.' The name Bau-gil implies a friendly path. Some also compare it to Bau, the goddess of health in Babylonian mythology, who is said to cure fatal diseases with a single touch. It overlaps with the Gangneung section of the Haeparang-gil, which stretches from the Unification Observatory in Goseong, Gangwon-do, to the Oryukdo Sunrise Park in Busan.

Among the 17 general sections, 3 have pet-friendly sections where dogs can walk together. The pet sections include 1.1 km from Anmok entrance to Songjeong Beach Shelter on Bau-gil Section 5, Sea and Lake Path; 0.9 km from the Metasequoia Road next to Ojukheon bus stop to Seongyojang on Bau-gil Section 16, Hakisi Wetland Path; and 1.1 km from Wonyu Village Hall to Mungye Observatory on Bau-gil Section 17, Anbandegi Wonyu Path. Allowed companion dogs are medium and small-sized dogs and guide dogs for the visually impaired. Owners must wear a leash and maintain a 2-meter distance.

The widely known Section 15, which passes through Gangneung Arboretum, is about 17.2 km from Seongsan Township Office to Dano Culture Center. The difficulty level is not very high. It takes about 6 hours to complete. Gangneung Arboretum was created by developing facilities linked to the original forest of Korean pine trees on the slopes of Chilsung Mountain. Bau-gil connects from the back gate to the front gate of the arboretum. After passing through the arboretum, visitors can also see the three-story stone pagoda and seated stone Buddha statue at Sinboksa Temple Site, designated as treasures. Sinboksa Temple is known to have been founded by the great monk Beomil Guksa during the Silla period.