Seoul-Yeonghae-Bicycle-Ride
Along Rivers And Over Mountain Passes.

Our ride descriptions give an account of the ride that we completed. As part of the description we also provide links to Wikiloc or Google maps and elevation profiles based on mapping data available through the internet. The ride profiles are smoothed to give what in our opinion is a more beneficial view of the profile. We use paper maps, GPS and on line data to plan and conduct our rides. We are happy for you to use our descriptions, but be aware that we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided as situations surrounding any ride change over time.

• Distance           73km
  
• Max Elevation    58m

Seoul to Yeonghae - Seoul to Cheongpyeong, Ride Profile

The first necessity of our Seoul-Yeonghae-Bicycle-Ride was getting out of Seoul. We were rather apprehensive at the prospect, but we needn't have been.  It was much easier than anticipated. From the hotel we headed up to Cheonggye Stream. This is a beautifully clean waterway (apparently pumped at great expense from the mountains)  which flows through Seoul city almost parallel with the Han river.

Until about 10 years ago it was covered up and there was a huge, ugly, raised concrete motorway above it. This has now all been demolished and the area has been developed as a public green space with footpaths near the city centre and a bike path starting about 3km from the City Hall.

The stream joins another river which flows into Seoul's main river, the Han. From here there is a cycle route called 'Four Rivers' which runs all the way from the coast  north west of Seoul, to Busan at the south east  of the peninsular. Initially the Seoul-Yeonghae-Bicycle-Ride followed the cycle path for about 40km. It is very well surfaced, all traffic free and well signposted with essential information in English as well as Korean. There are wayside maps but these are only in Korean.

On this sunny Saturday morning there were lots of cyclists, singles, families and groups, enjoying the riverside. The further away from Seoul the fewer bikes there were. It was noticeable that all the Koreans were riding expensive multi geared mountain bikes with suspension but the slightest hint of an incline and they were off the bike and pushing to the top.

Sections of the cycle path run underneath the raised motorways which follow the rivers. So you can cycle in shade and, with not so much noise transmitted downwards, it is very peaceful.

We turned off the Han river to follow the Bukhan  river north east. This valley also has a more recently completed cycle path all the way to Chuncheon. Along the way were lots of shady rest areas and stalls selling drinks and snacks.

• Distance           42km
  
• Max Elevation    170m

Seoul to Yeonghae - Cheongpyeong  to Chuncheon  Ride Profile

The one thing the motels don't provide is breakfast, but there was a coffee shop down the road. French bakeries are very popular in Korea and most of them serve coffee and have seating. 

There wasn't a cloud in the sky as we set off, crossing over to the other side of the river. People were fishing there with short rods, wading along pulling big keep nets with their catches. The cycle path at this point leaves the river Bukhan to follow a tributary valley along an old railway track.

The replacement railway is on one side with the river on the other. This project has only just been completed and there were fewer cyclists and not so many seats or refreshments. The only shade at lunchtime was in the car park underneath the railway station.This area of Korea is due to host the 2018 winter Olympic games, advertised on the posters at the side of the road.

Rejoining the Bukhan river we continued our Seoul-Yeonghae-Bicycle-Ride below the old railway bridge. This section of the track has been converted into a 'railbike' track, very popular here. Small cars powered by four passengers pedalling.

• Distance           66km
  
• Max Elevation    600m

Seoul to Yeonghae - Chuncheon  to Yanggu  Ride Profile

We went to nice coffee shop for breakfast and brought snacks and drinks for the rest of the day. The sky was clear and the sun already hot as we rode out of the city along the river banks following  various cycle paths. They were little used and somewhat overgrown with creepers. Ahead of us was the dam which forms the big reservoir which we would be cycling around later.

There was a slight moment of panic when about 3km up the climb we came to a road block with a Korean sign which we couldn't translate. The central section was open. We assume the road is closed at night because of the landslide damage and just rode through it. There were a couple of badly damaged sections but it seems unlikely that they will be repaired any time soon.

The top was just above 600m and then a short descent to join with the new highway for about 10km on a broad hard shoulder. A roadside cafe served a delicious spicy noodle soup for lunch.

Re-energised we continued up a slight climb on the highway and through a 1,800m tunnel. There was no alternative road here but the tunnel was well lit and the traffic not too busy. Just beyond the tunnel we turned off the highway again to follow the old road which contours around the hills above the pretty reservoir. With hardly any traffic it was incredibly peaceful. The road dips into several valleys, crossing under the new highway which passes through five tunnels and crosses the valleys on high raised bridges.

We had to re-join the new highway for the final 6km, into Yanggu,  where we booked into the Central Motel for the night. It looked the newest and cleanest of the five that were all together at the top of the town. Walking out to look for something to eat we bumped into an English girl, working as a TEFL teacher at the local school. She was staggered to see Westerners in the town. This town is less than 20km from the DMZ and the military presence was very noticeable.

• Distance            62km
  
• Max Elevation     500m

Seoul to Yeonghae - Yanggu to Girin Ride Profile

For the next two days our Seoul-Yeonghae-Bicycle-Ride would follow highway 31 south, through the Naerincheon river valley.

Leaving Yanggu we started a 350m climb up a wooded valley. There were soldiers everywhere. Most of them were young recruits on training exercises. They all looked far too young to be in the army. The roads north into the DMZ  had soldiers controlling access.

Just before the top of the hill we stopped for drinks in a little cafe. There was a shop selling all sorts of forest fungi as well as expensive ginseng. The man who owned it had lost both of his hands but still was able to drive a car and carry bags.

A short tunnel saved us from the last 100m of climbing and then came the exhilarating downhill into the areas which saw the most intense fighting of the Korean war. This brought us into the river valley and we began a gradual climb.

The river is used for whitewater rafting but the water levels at this time of year are quite low and although some rafts were descending they were having problems getting along in the still waters and kept running aground on the rocks.

• Distance             82km
  
• Max Elevation      1089m

Seoul to Yeonghae - Girin to Soksa  Ride Profile

It was a difficult ride with loaded bikes and we wondered if 7km of this would be too exhausting. But 1km further on it went onto concrete and was surfaced all the way to the junction back onto the 31, a lovely scenic valley.

At lunch time we saw a little bridge over the river below the road and dropped down a steep cemented road to sit on the banks and cool our feet in the water while we ate our sushi and cakes.

The hot afternoon didn't help as we continued to climb up the gradually shrinking river. The serious climbing started at the 60km point and we gained 450m in the next 8km. By now we had left all the traffic behind and except for some roadworks everything was quiet and still. Squirrels ran across the road and butterflies and wild flowers decorated the verges.

At the top was a row of cafes, with old ladies trying to entice us into their establishment. After a rest and a cold drink there was the 500m descent to enjoy in the evening sunshine. Soksa was just a tiny place, in the shadow of the elevated Expressway 50 but there was a good motel with a little restaurant and a 7/11 over the road.

We showered and changed quickly and went over to the restaurant for our tea. It was a typical Korean place with low tables and no chairs, shoes off at the door. The lady owner phoned her daughter, who could speak English, to translate the menu for us. She served us a delicious hotpot with meat and seafood accompanied by colourful and tasty side dishes and a couple of bottles of beer.

• Distance           52km
  
• Max Elevation    780m

Seoul to Yeonghae - Soksa to Jeongseon Ride Profile

This part of the Seoul-Yeonghae-Bicycle-Ride should have been a lovely ride today, mostly downhill through a beautiful winding and steep sided river valley. But it rained....seriously heavy stuff with a strong, gusty wind. The rain started just as we walked out of the motel so we ran over to the 7/11 for breakfast, hoping it would stop soon.

After 40 minutes it was plain there would be no respite soon so we set off in our ponchos. To begin we had to climb on highway 6 around a mountain. The new expressway goes straight through the mountain but the highway climbs up and around it. We didn't realise there was the old road at the side of this newer one with no traffic on it. Once at Jinbumyeon we joined the Jeongseon valley on Highway 59.

• Distance            64km
  
• Max Elevation     1000m

Seoul to Yeonghae - Jeonseon to Taebaek Ride Profile

The sun was shining again today and as we left Jeonseon on Highway 59 we were treated to a lovely view of the river and mountains which had been completely swathed in clouds yesterday.

Once again we got somewhat confused by the old and new roads, both numbered 59 and almost ended up going through a new tunnel before turning back over the river and onto the old road.

The whole day was spent in river valleys, gently climbing into the mountains. Leaving the highway, we took NR 424 and then 412, along an impressive gorge with pine clad slopes.

Further up the valleys there was more agriculture. Recently harvested chillies were spread out in the sun to dry.

Beyond that the steep slopes had been cleared of trees and planted with cabbages. They went on for miles and miles, all the same type and no other crops. It was a shock to see them growing like this and the vast amounts of soil washed off the slopes by the rain suggested it was not a good idea.  Such extensive monoculture must entail the use of lots of chemicals. It was certainly enough to put you off cabbage for a while.

• Distance            65km
  
• Max Elevation     810m

Seoul to Yeonghae  - Taebaek to Jukbyeon Ride Profile

The rain eased and the clouds lifted so we set off again. There was only another kilometre on the main road before turning onto the 416, a much quieter local road After a slight climb through a wooded valley there was a 2km tunnel, for once a blessing as it was a shelter from the rain. On the other side of the tunnel the rain seemed lighter and from there the road descended for 40km all the way to the east coast. The temperature slowly increased and the rain stopped so we gradually shed some layers and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

This valley is much more rural than any of the ones further north. The houses are small and more traditional in style. The farming is traditional mixed arable with rice, melons, beans, onions, garlic and chillies (not a single cabbage). About half way down the valley narrowed into a steep sided gorge.

Finally our Seoul-Yeonghae-Bicycle-Ride took us within site of South Korea's east coast.

There were roadworks ahead and a workman on traffic control duty. He had his back to us and was on the phone so didn't hear our approach, even though Steve rang his bell. Our sudden arrival startled him and he gave us a lecture in Korean, which we didn't understand and waved his illuminated stick quite a bit, before letting us go through.

There is a motorway along this section of the east coast, which is where most of the traffic is, meaning the old main road is a quiet and enjoyable route for cycling. The coast has some nice sandy beaches and good views from the hilltop viewpoint, but is somewhat marred by the enormous nuclear power station.

We booked into a motel in the fishing port town of Jukbyeon. It seemed like it should be a busy little holiday place but there were no holiday makers. The harbour was lined with fish restaurants, with racks of tanks filled with all manner of seafood but the restaurants had hardly any customers.

Instead we went into a tiny little sit on the floor place with only two tables. One of them was already occupied by a lively group of locals celebrating a birthday with the usual large quantities of Soju. They gave us big slices of birthday cake for our pudding.

• Distance            76km
  
• Max Elevation     53m

Seoul to Yeonghae - Jukbyeon to Yeonghae Ride Profile

At 9am in the morning there was absolutely nowhere open for breakfast. It's difficult to get used to the fact that very few accommodations here serve breakfast. We tried to find a route along the old 7 road, now replaced with the  motorway. It wasn't easy, even with the combined information on the paper map and the sat nav.

Getting to Uljin was enjoyable, riding along narrow concreted lanes, through farmland and small villages. There we found a' Paris Baguette' for breakfast, thank goodness the Koreans love their 'French' bakeries.

South of Uljin  NR 917 hugs the coastline for the next 12km. Along here were some lovely views and interesting cliffs but these were marred by high wire fences and lookout towers, remnants of the Korean War. The next section was very difficult, with the old road weaving from side to side of the new one, now just a highway, not a motorway. At some points there was no option but to ride on the hard shoulder.

At lunchtime we rode round a town looking for a cafe but had to go to a 7/11 and buy a picnic which we ate outside the police station. Still trying to find a route away from the busy highway we followed a rough track up a hill and ended up in a small quarry. At this point we gave up and returned to the highway for the next 6km.

South of Pyeonghae there are several bays with sandy beaches but at this time of year they were all deserted. There are quite a few motels but although the doors were open there was no reception, just a phone number to ring and we were concerned whether any of the restaurants would stay open with so few customers. So we continued on to the next major town, Yeonghae, about 8km further down the coast and the end of the Seoul-Yeonghae-Bicycle-Ride but only the first half of our Korean adventure.

After a well deserved lie-in we went to the Goesi ethnic village, just outside Yeonghae. We wandered along the sandy lanes with their tile topped walls, peeking into the nicely restored houses, most of which are still lived in. There was no-one around and the only sound was from the temple on the hillside with a solitary monk chanting mournfully.

We giggled at the dead rat in the drain cover, obviously only recently deceased, and tried to figure out how exactly he had died, aren't rats supposed to be able to get through the narrowest of spaces?

When Karen went to the 'ladies' she found the sink occupied by a bright green frog.

The rest of day was spent on beach, sleeping in the shade of the pine trees and having lunch of raw fish, lettuce and pickles at a little seafood stall against the harbour at Daejin.