January 8, 2026. A return visit to Gamaksan Mountain
On the way to the Gamaksan mineral spring
From a certain point on the uphill road to the Gamaksan mineral spring, all the way to the end, the route does not appear on the built-in navigation system. Perhaps this is because of a nearby military base. I do not know the exact reason.
Driving up the narrow, single-lane road without knowing where it would end, I kept thinking that this would be my first and last time doing this. It seemed that calcium chloride had been spread on the road earlier. There was no ice.
An Ominous Atmosphere
Why did I think it would be my first and last time? It was because I felt an ominous atmosphere.
My first visit to Gamaksan Mountain was on June 2, 2024. I walked from Parking Lot No. 1 near the Gamaksan Suspension Bridge to the summit. Even then, I felt the same ominous atmosphere.
Stairs to the summit of Gamaksan Mountain, parking area
Before reaching the Gamaksan mineral spring, there is a small parking area. The ground there is covered with ice. Once you drive in, you cannot get out.
To the left of the Gamaksan mineral spring, there is a staircase leading upward. From the photo below, it looks like the steps are covered with snow. It might seem like you could just walk up by stepping on the snow, but in reality, this is not a place you should enter without crampons.
It seems that only the road used by vehicles had been treated with calcium chloride.
You cannot ignore two risks, can you? That is why I drove all the way to the end of the road to turn the car around. At the end of the road is the Gamaksan Rainfall Radar Station. There is a dog there. It is very close to the Gamaksan mineral spring.
As I turned around and drove downhill, the temperature rose from minus 9 degrees Celsius to minus 5, and once I left the area, it became minus 2. With temperatures this low, places where calcium chloride has not been spread do not melt. So if you want to go to the summit of Gamaksan Mountain, it seems best to wait until spring.
Location of Gamaksan Mountain
Gamaksan Mountain is not as large as Seoraksan, Jirisan, or Hallasan. However, it spans three administrative areas: Paju City, Yeoncheon County, and Yangju City in Gyeonggi-do. Why does a single mountain belong to three different regions?