Sorak Mountain: A View from my Student’s Perspective

Sorak Mountain: A Glimpse from My student’s School Retreat (April 25-27, 2012)

One of my students ( Jong In Yang) Kevin, is kind enough to share his memoirs during his 3 day- school retreat at Sorak Mountain. He explicitly told some beautiful things about his experience including the photos he had taken. I was just so amazed and am so grateful to him for sharing his gallery and permitted me to use these photos for my blog.

Sorak Mountain is a lovely landscape located in the Northeastern province of Gangwon, South Korea. The mountain is located about five hours east of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea and only about one hour from the eastern shore. It is more or less 2-3 hours trek from its foot going to its peak. What makes this mountain so stunning is the beautiful landscape and and scenery that surrounded the entire mountain. According to Kevin, Sorak Mountain is wonderful comes all seasons of the year. One highlight is the streams you can pass by along the trekking route during summer time. The scenic mountain view is breathtaking.

The autumn colours in the area are considered amongst the most beautiful in Korea. The mountain looks so adorable during Atumn. The red and yellow forest is interrupted by rocks and small mountain streams flow amidst it. Autumn is the most colorful season of the year and Kevin exclaimed that he likes Autumn because of the coolness of the weather and the leaves freely falling off that comes in various shades. The fall/ autumn is like life on earth. It has its own time to retire in this world. But what makes it encouraging and heart-whelming is when you lived your life fruitfully according to its ultimate reason of existence. When one’s dying days are decorated with full colors, vibrant colors.

Does it look real? A ram on the mountainside?

Another grandeur this mountain could ever entice a climber is the ram farm as what Kevin narrated. The pasture is so calm and serene. It was one of an exhilarating experiences for him when his attention was captivated by a hairy one. It looks so funny because the eyes are all covered by the hair. When I first saw the photo I thought it was just an ornament. At first glance, it looks like topiary images but it doesn’t look green at all. He affirmed that it’s real. Where have the eyes been gone?

Next,is the sea view from Sorak mountain.

From the summit, one can be thrilled by the scenic view of Naksan beach, situated near the mountain. How can one forget to stand in awe with the majestic creation? The beach looks authentic, I mean, it’s not artificial? Not a man-made sea destination that one has a picture out in today’s scenario, a beach surrounded with cottages, landscapes, a luxurious swimming pool, a perfect getaway for tanning. I wonder how it really looks like once your feet have touched the sandy shoreline.

By simply looking at the summit, one can vividly visualize the vastness of God‘s creation. How majestic is the works of his hands, so full of grandeur, so applauding, but let this just be a reminder that the creator has the rightful place to take all the credit rather than the creation. These are just the extension of his great designs. We may be speechless as to describe the beauty of such creation, but there is one thing that I am sure of, nothing and no one can ever be equal with the magnitude of his greatness, that what he purposely designed is a masterpiece without duplication.