Struck off Chiaksan, Sobaeksan and Odaesan during the sticky hot days of the summer vacation. Chiak was all bush and wooden steps, Sobaek was a 'womin's mountain' according to Won Jun & Cory, but Odaesan is a combo of the beaut Soerak-like river valley and death squad ridge climb to the shelter.
Drenched from a night of monsoonism tent retreat, I struggled in +30 degrees for 6hours to the Noinbong shelter, only to come across the bar run by the slightly maniacal My Yang ~ he runs mountain trails and bikes for occasional joy- anyway, I ordered a Makoli and ambled off in search of water replenishment from a spring about 150 metres below. There was the
bowl of white delight sitting on the bar for me- waiting to be devoured.  First gulp and it seemed awfully bitter but I plowed through the rest of it without question.

A ragged bunch of army wannabies sifted into the 1350metre zone, taking up seating positions on rocks, tree stumps and each other for comfort~ the conversation was broken everything, but hey- I felt Makoli good.  Until Mr Yang turned up with a big grin and urrepticious enquire about the state of my Makoli satisfaction. It was then that I noticed a big wet patch on the front of his draws- even in the jungle where hygiene ain't a fundamental it turned my
stomach as the suspicious mind did the arithmetic, eeeurrghh!

I trucked outa there in doubt and a consistent state of bodily function onitoring, all downhill luckily.
Striding down rocks, boulders, tree stumps & monsoon ravaged trail with seemingly big steps, I could only pity the rest of the police, airforce and civilian bastards struggling up the grunt in a pool of sweat that you just don't see Koreans normally show.
And here he was, a lone fat airforce trainee - crouching chicken - sobbing on the side of the trail while the rest of his buddies staunchly pushing past with a flow of vented vernacular that you often see on a rugby field.
What could I do?  Gave him a little water and attempted to explain the remaining contours with a little enthusiasm for the goal that extended before him + a little self preserving advice

"DON'T DRINK THE MAKOLI, MAN"

as close to North Korea as you want to be

Vicious guard-dogs everywhere

Won Jun managed to take 2 days off his 80 hour week schedule

a good lunch of samgetang (boiled chook stuffed with rice and nuts and ginseng) and it's time to move on

Won Jun's phone took pictures, played tunes, took messages from his boss and even cooked us all rice for breakfast~ technology!!

things always look smaller at altitude