'Pitch black, silent and cold': Singaporean woman recounts solo hiking experience in South Korea

A trip to Seoraksan National Park in South Korea turned into a frightening experience when a woman found out how ill-prepared she was for the hike.

Singaporean Alayna went on a solo hike to catch the sunrise at the tourist attraction but she did not have a torchlight with her.

Things got off to a frantic start after she woke up late and had to rush her way to the park entrance.

That was when Alayna started to feel uncomfortable.

"There were no lights and all I had were my phone, food and drinks," the 29-year-old recounted.

On Friday (Oct 20), Alayna posted a nearly two-minute-long video that showed how she navigated the hiking path in complete darkness.

@peltings Def blessed to experience such kindness in Korea. And please….. be more prepared than me if you are hiking in the dark 🥲 #seorakmountain #seoraksannationalpark #solotravel #southkorea #autumn #sokcho #koreahiking ♬ 가을바람 - BGM President

Unsure of what to do, Alayna opted to hang around the entrance for a while longer.

Fortunately, a few hikers turned up. One of them even passed her their torchlight, telling her that it was near impossible to hike with just the light from her iPhone.

She would soon understand what they meant.

"The hiking path I took was pitch black, silent and cold," Alayna said.

She shared that she felt more worried about potentially being attacked by a person or wild animal, and even the striking beauty of the stars and sky could do little to raise her spirits.

"I was at the lowest point of my life as well," she said.

It was then that an ajusshi (middle-aged man in Korean) appeared.

After spending some time alone in the dark, Alayna was over the moon after meeting another person on the trail.

She admitted that his presence made her feel safe and also motivated her to complete the hike.

After three hours of solo hiking in the dark, Alayna reached her destination. And just in time to catch the sunrise too.

At the peak, she also had the chance to meet the stranger again and exchanged smiles.

But looking back, Alayna said she wished she was more vocal in letting him know how touched she was.

"In case you're wondering, no. Nothing happened. This is not K-drama," she said matter-of-factly.

AsiaOne has reached out to Alayna for more information.

Trust the process

Although her Seoraksan hike had a shaky start, Alayna was all smiles by the end of it.

The avid traveller said she felt blessed to have experienced such kindness from strangers while on her travels.

She urged her viewers to be the same and spread kindness to others.

Having shared her solo hiking experience, Alayna reminded viewers to be better prepared should they ever be keen to hike in the dark.

If it's Seoraksan National Park in particular you're eyeing, do note that the park's opening hours differ according to seasons.

During the summer season, gates open at 3am and the park closes at 2pm.

In the winter months, the entry hours start from 4am till 12pm.

ALSO READ: Singaporean experiences solo travel for first time, recommends it for all

amierul@asiaone.com

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