Balwangsan

Rising to 1,458 m in Daegwallyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang, Balwangsan is the twelfth-highest mountain in South Korea. It first became known as a winter mountain thanks to the Yongpyong ski resort on its northern slopes, but today a tourist cable car turns it into a year-round destination: you ride to the summit, look out over the mountain ranges and walk through a forest of ancient yew trees. Its biggest draw is that you can breathe the air of a 1,400-metre peak without a hard climb.

18 minutes to 1,458 m

The cable car leaves from the second floor of Dragon Plaza at Yongpyong Resort and reaches the summit station, Dragon Castle, in about 18 minutes. At about 3.7 km each way (7.4 km return) it is billed as the longest tourist cable car in Korea. A line of 100 eight-person cabins runs up and down, and on the way up the ski slopes and the ridges around Daegwallyeong spread out below you. Yongpyong also hosted the alpine skiing slalom and giant slalom at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

What to do at the top

• Skywalk: a viewing structure next to the summit station. On a clear day, wave after wave of Gangwon mountain ridges stretch out in every direction.
• Thousand-Year Yew Forest Trail: a path through the yew trees near the summit. The boardwalk never exceeds an 8% gradient, so wheelchairs and pushchairs can use it, and in 2023 it was selected as a barrier-free destination in the "Korea Tourism Stars" awards.
• Trees to look for: gnarled, hollow old yews, a tree you have to duck under, and the mayumok, where two different species grow from a single trunk.
• Mossy rock slopes: along the trail you pass moss-covered rocks and small stone cairns, shaped by the cool, damp air of the high mountain.

Different weather up top

At over 1,400 m, the summit is far cooler than the valleys even in midsummer. People come up to escape the heat in summer, to see autumn colours, and in winter to see snow-covered yews. The flip side is that wind and cloud change quickly: it can be sunny at the bottom while the summit sits in fog.

Tripto tips

• Cable car: listed as running 09:00–17:00. It stops in strong wind, lightning and other bad weather, and there are regular closure days, so check the Yongpyong Resort website for operations and current fares before you set off.
• Time needed: allow 2–3 hours for the return ride and a walk on the trail. Check the time of the last cable car down so you can plan your time at the top.
• What to wear: the summit is windy and cold. Bring a light jacket even in summer, and in winter wear crampons or shoes with good grip, as snow builds up on the boardwalk.
• When to go: cool July–August, colourful October and snowy December–February are the best times. The resort is busy during the ski season, so a weekday visit is more relaxed.
• Getting there: from Jinbu (Odaesan) Station on the KTX Gangneung Line, a taxi takes about 20 minutes to the resort. Combine it with Woljeongsa Temple in Odaesan for a full day in Pyeongchang.