Skiing Guide

Introduction

Regardless of the fact that many universities are cutting back on vacation time and for the poor souls indentured to hog-wons vacation is only a pipe-dream, skiing is still something that all teachers must find the time to do. Skiing, like mercy…is twice blest. It blesses you when you shred and gives you a tan, increases your flexibility and gives us somewhere to party other than this city.

Here in Korea I have only skied Muju Resort but have asked extensively about the resorts in north-eastern Korea. All responses have indicated that Muju does have the best and most extensive selection of runs. Additionally, one would be mad to trek from Busan to the resorts up north especially on weekends or with the risk of inclement weather cutting into your valuable ski time!

For those of you have skied Whistler, Tahoe, the Alps, etc, stop drooling now! You have been spoiled and Muju will NOT compare with triple black-diamonds and there is no out of bounds, back country or even large clumps of trees for you to stash your Jagermeister bottle or mack on your honey in privacy. There is a wide enough variety of runs to appease even the most avid skier if one is willing to make some concessions.

Muju

Muju opens a bit later than most places in the Rockies or the Cascades. There is artificial snow that feels just fine so even if there has been no precipitation in weeks you can still ski. The first two days of this past season offered no charge for lift tickets which was a cursed blessing. Free is a very nice price however it encouraged hordes of people from all over the peninsula and caused unbearable crowds. The lines were infuriating as they had only opened one or two chairs. It would have been tolerable for a beginner but if you desire to stretch your legs, go fast enough to blast your earphones from your head or hear that intoxicating “smack” of your skis when you land a jump, you (as I) would be gravely disappointed. At one point I clocked a wait of approximately 40 minutes in line and when I headed straight down, got an uninspiring 30 seconds of ski time. Regarding crowds, if you go on weekends forget about it; there is no way it can be avoided. If you stick to the top, right-side of the hill there is significantly less traffic and the skill level of the other skiers ensures that the lift doesn’t stop every 40 seconds for other guys’ girlfriends to tumble and squeal when they disembark. I believe the best lift to be “Express” and recommend that you head straight there once you are buckled in. Not only does it offer the best variety and fewest amateurs but there is a delightful bar called Heidi House midway down with a fire place and draft beer. Weekdays are great! Most times I cruised right through the line without stopping or waiting and rode up alone.

There are two main lodges, “Solchon House” and “Mansun House”. The buses arrive at “Solchon House”. Once you get off the bus you have to take the far-right lift called “Ssang Ssang” which leads to the central area and main lodge. You will know you are in the right place when you are beneath an enormous TV screen. This is “Mansun House”. Don’t get distracted at 4:20 and forget that you have to go back UP and over to return to the bus! Beginners should just stay in front of the “Solchon House” on the left portion of the resort. There are plenty of runs there for beginners and intermediates.

This resort was designed for the Olympics so there are all necessary elements for a world-class run. The only limitation being that you are limited to one specific discipline per run. One run has a killer mogul field. Another has a perfect jump. There are some places where you can get some good speed and some variety so search extensively. Last time I found an almost deserted detour off of the most populated run which boasted nice, hip-high moguls and then a perfectly crafted jump at the bottom. Muju best serves you if you are looking to improve one aspect of your skill level. There is a ton of groovy stuff for beginners and the ski patrol who, although overzealous with the warning whistle for silly infractions like speeding or not pulling down the safety bar will gladly answer any questions you have regarding technique and will even follow you and give you mini-lessons. Beginners are even treated to a lift like I have never seen before. An escalator type contraption a la airport people-mover where they just stand all the way to the top of the run, maybe totally superfluous but is a nice touch nevertheless! It is consistent with the rest of Muju’s ultra-modern infrastructure.

Scumbag snowboarders are spoiled at Muju. There is a perfect half-pipe as well as a section of rails and jumps designed with their worthless desires in mind.

Getting There

Finally! Time for the nuts and bolts of the operation. DO NOT drive to Muju! There is a fleet of something like 300 busses nationwide that go there every day. They pick you up at stops along several main routes through the city or even out in Kimhae if that is where you hang your boda-bag. They converge on Seomyeon and leave at 6:00 A.M. kinda-moderately-sharp. If you have a reservation and are a tad late, they will attempt to call you. If you can’t count on your lazy-ass to wake up DO NOT pay in advance. You can pay once you board the bus. Use your favorite travel agent to book the reservation. I have found New Busan to be the cheapest. I have my own skis so without rental it ranges between 47,000 won and 53,000 won. With ski or board rental it is approximately 58,000 won to 70,000 won and that is including a class if you want it. Depending on specials, the price does fluctuate but those prices are all inclusive which is exceedingly cheap if you consider all that that involves, that is transportation, rental and lift. I have shown up at the bus (Seomyeon intersection) without a reservation, ticket or money but found an ATM down the street and got on no problem. This may not always be possible.

If you are going there for one day you will arrive a little after 9:00 A.M. and the bus returns to Busan between 4:30 and 4:50 P.M. which places you back in Seomyeon just before 8:00 P.M. The buses are comfortable and usually overheated. Most people sleep but I find that the three hours is ample time to consume a bottle of champagne, a bottle of white wine or two and enjoy some nice ‘me’ time with my mp3 player. It isn’t like other Korean bus-trips with people chatting and singing and forcing snacks into your face. The lights go out and EVERYBODY sleeps. You can’t read a book so unless you have some technology to play with that won’t wake everybody up it can get pretty boring until the sun rises. The scenery is extraordinary as you enter the even-more mountainous area of northern Cho-La-Do. The bus stops after about the first hour and a half so there is no need to pee in your wine bottle if you have to go. If you wish to stay overnight that is no problem. They will arrange your return ticket at no extra expense. I once took a train and then a bus to the mountain which was OK but way more hassle with no savings at all. When I wanted to return, I realized that there was no way to return and had to take a 70,000 won taxi ride back to the train station and then wait in the cold for the next available train.