Seoraksan Peaks in Full Autumn Colors on the 20th, Chiaksan on the 24th
Hikers Should Equip with Hiking Boots and Sticks
As the weather turned cooler and the autumn foliage reached its peak on the 19th, visitors continued to flock to famous mountains nationwide, resulting in a series of mountain accidents.
On the 29th of last month, the autumn leaves are turning red along the Jungcheong to Socheong hiking trail in Seoraksan National Park, Sokcho-si, Gangwon Province. [Photo by Yonhap News]
According to the Gangwon Provincial Fire Headquarters, at around 11:55 a.m. that day, an 8-year-old boy, A, suffered a head injury from a fall on the stone stairs near Seryeom Waterfall in Chiaksan, Socho-myeon, Wonju City.
Earlier that day, at 9:41 a.m., a 77-year-old person, B, twisted their leg on the trail from Bongjeong Hermitage in Seoraksan, Buk-myeon, Inje County, on the way to Baekdamsa Temple, and was assisted down the mountain by firefighters.
With the recent sharp drop in temperature, the mountains in the Gangwon region have donned their autumn foliage, attracting more hikers.
Autumn foliage occurs when the minimum temperature falls below 5 degrees Celsius and there is a large temperature difference between day and night.
According to the Seoraksan National Park Office, as of 5 p.m. that day, the number of visitors to Seoraksan was 10,099.
Weather information specialist company K-Weather predicts that the autumn foliage will peak on the 20th at Seoraksan and on the 24th at Chiaksan.
Due to the heatwave that lasted until September this year, the autumn foliage at Seoraksan started about 4 days later than last year and about 6 days later than usual, beginning in late September. At Odaesan, the first autumn foliage appeared 7 days later than average, at Seoraksan 6 days later, and at Chiaksan 4 days later.
To prevent mountain accidents, it is important to check the weather forecast in advance and prepare equipment such as hiking boots and trekking poles.
It is also advisable to bring extra clothes, drinks, and snacks, warm up sufficiently before climbing, and choose a hiking trail that matches your physical condition.
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