snowboarding near Osan Air Force Base Archives < South of Seoul https://blog.southofseoul.net/tag/snowboarding-near-osan-air-force-base/ Localized Guides for Your Life in Korea Tue, 11 Oct 2022 07:09:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://blog.southofseoul.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/South-of-Seoul-logo-for-header.png snowboarding near Osan Air Force Base Archives < South of Seoul https://blog.southofseoul.net/tag/snowboarding-near-osan-air-force-base/ 32 32 Dragon Valley Hotel and Yongpong Ski Resort Weekend Itinerary for Lazy People https://blog.southofseoul.net/dragon-valley-hotel-and-yongpong-ski-report-weekend-itinerary-for-lazy-people/ Wed, 05 Jan 2022 06:50:34 +0000 https://blog.southofseoul.net/?p=7247 Lanae Rivers-Woods, MAIT

To clarify, we are the lazy people in question. Hopefully, our laziness helps others follow in our footsteps. Here is our favorite Yongpong ski resort itinerary. About this Weekend Itinerary Recently we took a ‘housemates trip’ to Gangwon-do in order to get back into snowboarding after two of us had to take a few years off due to injuries. That means this ski trip itinerary was tested by intermediate snowboarders of varying levels of physical functionality. We were terrified the trip would end in disaster (more injuries) but nothing like that happened. We were all able to comfortably snowboard within our abilities and the trip was perfect. We HIGHLY recommend that anyone thinking about hitting the slopes in Korea takes this as the sign to give it a try. Trip Plan by Winter Friend Sometimes our house doesn’t have the energy to plan things for our group. During such times, Winter Friend and the associated travel planners save our butts. We do a bank transfer and they send us the plan for the day or a weekend. If you are like us, we recommend using a company like Winter Friend as they have connections with the right places. We gave them money and they made the magic happen. Plus, they also have some pre-planned trips with leaders that you can join. Seriously though, they have some great deals including a bus that goes from Seoul to Yongpyong if you don’t have a car. For us, we usually mix and match the Winter Friend plan with our own journey. That means we will let them organize the hotel, lift tickets, tell us where to rent gear, etc. Then we coordinate our own transportation and meals. That’s because we need the flexibility to research the area for our South of Seoul community. Here is what our mix and match Winter Friend snowboard weekend looked like. DAY 1: Departure + McDonalds or Starbucks Since this trip was about being lazy, we didn’t make breakfast. Instead, we went to the drive-through on the way out of town. Both McDonald’s and Starbucks offer breakfast sandwiches and coffee. You are about to spend all day on the slopes so you don’t need to be cutting calories today. DAY 1: Grab a Hearty Lunch Gangwondo is filled with great places to grab lunch. We usually go with Korean food since our favorite meals come from Gangwondo, on this trip we didn’t break with tradition. We also didn’t plan ahead. Instead, we took the back roads through the mountains and found a place along the way. Not the fastest way to the resort, but certainly the most beautiful. All I wanted was a handmade tofu meal on a cold winter’s day. Tofu in Korea is not seen as a vegetarian dish. It’s simply delicious food. That means most tofu meals will also include meat. In this case, it was elements of seafood. As soon as I saw this spot I was like, “Stop the car and go back. That place is going to be unique and delicious. ” As always, I was right. I have a six-sense for fabulous Korean food. However, if you aren’t obsessed with Korean food like we are, Gangwondo also has many wonders such as White Crow Brewing. This is a perfect spot for beers and lunch. DAY 1: Arrive Near YongPong Ski Resort and Rent Gear Before going to the resort we needed to get your snowboard pants, jacket, goggles, etc. (Assuming you don’t have any) We had Winter Friend set this up for us so that we didn’t need to spend time choosing a gear shop. The costs for our outfits included 15,000 won for pants and jacket, googles 15,000 won, and helmet around 4,000 won. We also didn’t have gloves right for snow and ended up buying some at the shop for 18,000 won. The great all worked great. Quite happy. In the future, we will also rent our boards here because they have 24hr rentals (on this trip we rented from Yongpyong Ski Resort) which means you can keep the gear all night for morning skiing. Also, the gear rental shop gave all of us bags to hold the gear which made the whole day MUCH easier. This thoughtful addition to the experience was a welcome surprise. DAY 1: Check-in at Dragon Valley Hotel Keep in mind, actual room check-in isn’t until 3:00pm. However, Dragon Valley Hotel will let you check in early and then text you when the room is ready. That way you can get on the slopes as soon as you arrive and go straight to your room after you finish. We like Dragon Valley Hotel because you exit right out into the lifts, they have an affordable breakfast buffet (19,00 won), and comfortable beds. We like things to be simple and easy. DAY 1: Get Your Lift Tickets The ticket office is only a one-minute walk out the door of Dragon Valley Hotel. You can purchase lift tickets from either an automated ticketing kiosk or a human-assisted one. The automated ticketing kiosk is in English. DAY 1: Get Your Board and Boots If you decide to rent boards at the ski resort, you can also pick these up before or after you lift tickets. Give yourself about 1 hour to go through this whole process. You will need to store your shoes and adjust your gear. Also, the resort boards and boots were in surprisingly good shape. The guards on the snowboard tips were a little annoying while riding. You will need to write your Korean shoe size on a piece of paper in order to get your boots. Thankfully they have a nice easy way to measure your shoe size. You also need to know your height in cm. Don’t judge my socks. All of the shoe lockers were full when we arrived so we put our boots on top of the lockers. Nobody stole them. You can also put them in your car. DAY 1: Hit the Slopes Two of us are recovering from injuries so we stuck to the easier hills while another went to explore more lifts and routes. We loved the flexibility to play on the bunny hill and work on our skills after our lift tickets and finished for the day. All we could keep saying was, “This is the best day ever” while we struggled through the pain of getting back into slopes shape. The lifts at the bottom of the hill had longer waiting times than the lifts further up the slopes. That said, we never had to wait very long to catch a ride. DAY 1: Dinner in Town The prices for dinner at Dragon Valley Hotel were out of our price range but thankfully we had a car. There is a very cute mountain town near YongPyong Ski Resort that was beautifully updated during the 2018 Winter Olympics. You can find burgers, chicken, pizza, coffee shops, BBQ, Galbi, and more. It’s also stunning during evening snow. We parked and walked around looking for the perfect spot. Since we can’t resist an alley filled with art and snow, we ended up at Donuri. This smalls, cozy Korean food restaurant offers up fabulous samgyupsal and kimchi. We ate way too many side dishes and rolled home. This restaurant will be spot we come back to in the future. Day 1: Go To Bed Early To maximize our weekend wanted to go to bed early. After dinner, we headed right back to Dragon Valley Hotel and get some rest. We regretted not bringing some games to play and will do that next time, instead, we took some time to enjoy the beautiful light display and outdoor fire pit. The Dragon Valley Hotel beds were nice and we slept like babies. Keep in mind, we have lived in South Korea for over a decade (8 years on sleeping on the floor) and have no idea what western beds feel like anymore. These seemed softer than other places we stay, so western folks might like them. Day 2: Wake up Early and Grab a Buffet Breakfast After you wake up and have your hotel coffee, head to the Dragon Valley Hotel Breakfast Buffet. This western and Korean breakfast is heavy in meat and hearty foods that will keep you running on the slopes. The main reasons to eat at the Dragon Valley Hotel breakfast buffet are convenience, price, opening early, and great selection. I actually enjoyed the buffet at YongPyong Resort. I did NOT want to eat there because I deeply dislike buffet food. However, the Dragon Valley Hotel buffet made me eat my words. They had an excellent selection that they maintained the food very well. I will absolutely go here for breakfast when I am in the area. It was 19,000 won when we went, but prices are subject to change. Day 2: Morning Ski Literally don’t sleep on skiing in the morning. You can miss many of the crowds and have some excellent snow. Day 2: Lunch at the Ski Slope Food Court Yongpong Ski Resort has a sizeable food court where you can easily take a break in the middle of the day. Remember that everyone else will also be taking a break at lunch, so allow plenty of time to eat. We chose to eat on the road but also recommend eating at the resort to keep life simple. Day 2: Head home around 12:00 or 1:00 pm to to beat traffic Traffic home on a Sunday can get quite intense if you need to return to Seoul or drive through Seoul. Leaving earlier in the day will keep the day less stressful and allow you to arrive home in time for dinner. Day 2: Grab Dinner Before Getting Back to the House Stop dinner on the way home! After a long weekend, we often go to California Roll & Sushi. Since they also LOVE snowboarding we can enjoy dinner and chat about the weekend. The perfect end to the day. We even order mountain-themed sushi roll to keep on theme. Join the Pyeongtaek Travelers Group You are also welcome to join our Pyeongtaek Travelers. The South of Seoul moderated community of active and friendly travelers (most who live in Pyeongtaek, South Korea) sharing their adventure across the country. Volunteer with South of Seoul Interested in working with a fun team of talented volunteers? The South of Seoul volunteer team is always looking for other like-minded folks to research information, compile blogs, and edit content. Lanae Rivers-Woods, MAITLanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert. Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities. Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea. Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea. When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains. www.southofseoul.net

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7 Best Ski Resorts in Gangwon-do https://blog.southofseoul.net/7-best-ski-resorts-in-gangwon-do/ Tue, 04 Jan 2022 04:37:25 +0000 https://blog.southofseoul.net/?p=7508 South of Seoul

About Skiing in Gangwon-do Gangwondo has a variety of resorts and offers the best skiing and snowboarding in South Korea. Gangwon-do takes up the northeastern part of South Korea. Mountains cover the vast majority of Gangwon-do. If you love skiing or snowboarding, you will love a day on the slopes of the ski resorts included in this blog post . As always, you can find such resorts in the South of Seoul app which can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple App Store. Gangwon-do hosted the 2018 winter Olympics which means a number of ski resorts like Aplensia Ski Resort received a little extra funding to make things extra nice. The area looks like a classic western ski resort. This resort feels like you have been transported to Colorado while the neighboring Yongpyong Ski Resorts feels like classic Korea in all the best ways. Ski Season in Gangwon-do Depending on the weather, the ski season in Gangwondo runs from December through March. If you have questions about ski season you can contact 1330. Calling to check on the status of the slopes is especially important during the early and late ski season or during warm winters. Snow Conditions in Gangwon-do During the early and last season, much of the snow on the slopes may be man-made. To get the best snow, ski in the morning and evening. Additionally, soft and powdery days do exist if you get lucky but it will not be knee-deep. Managing Snow Expectations Obviously, it’s better at Whistler but don’t live anywhere near Canada. Skiing in Korea isn’t about the fact the slopes are perfect. It’s about a passion for the snow and carving your joy down a mountain. It’s about time with family and friends. It’s about pushing yourself to try new things, in a new play, in a new way. If you are a super picky snow connoisseur who can’t enjoy life if the slopes are not exactly like that one resort you visited somewhere else once on a perfect snow day, skiing in Gangwon-do might not be your thing. No one is trying to sell you Korea as the world’s best ski destination. We encourage you to stay home mad about it this weekend and miss the joyful feeling of wind in your hair, fresh mountain air, and stunning mountain views. Resort Route Maps Available on Naver Maps The Naver Maps app makes it easy to see what routes exist at each ski resort. Since Naver Maps has an English language option, you can use the app to easily navigate between ski lifts during your trip. You can use the app to answer questions you have regarding difficulty level, number of lifts, number of runs, and more. Naver Maps uses the following colors for the following difficulty levels: When you zoom in on the map, you can also see which lifts take you to each part of the run. Some runs may require two lifts and other lifts may provide access to more than one run. All of this detail can be easily accessed through Naver Maps. Tips for What to Take A few quick tips for packing for your trip to the mountains: Lift Tickets Lift tickets are available for purchase in-person at each Gangwon-do resort or online. They can be purchased for the morning, afternoon, evening, and all day, and some resorts even offer one-run passes. Additionally, annual passes can be purchased. Prices vary by resort. Online and in-person lift ticket purchases may vary. If you are determined to pre-purchase tickets, you can use a bi-lingual concierge service. Skiing in Gangwon-do for Beginners Don’t hesitate to try skiing or snowboarding in South Korea. Due to the fact gear is easy to rent and lift ticket prices are affordable, there has never been a better time fall in love with either skiing or snowboarding. If you hate the slopes, you can enjoy the surrounding lodges and mountain views. Gangwon-do ski resorts generally have ski and snowboard instructors for all ages and lessons can often be scheduled on the same day. Of course, reservations will help ensure a more smooth process. Because of the pandemic, ski and snowboard class schedules and class sizes may vary based on current local procedures. You can use a bi-lingual concierge service to help schedule your lessons. Some resorts may have a small slope where beginner ski and snowboarders can walk up the baby slope and practice their skills for free. Such access varies depending on the resort. This can make learning quite affordable. We often spend a few hours on these slopes at the beginning of each ski season getting back in the groove before taking the lift. As a beginner, no one expects you to be on the slopes all day. Plan for a few hours and then take a rest and reflect on your experience. Nobody has to be a hero on the first day. Give yourself permission to be terrible, to spend most of the day in the lodge, enjoy things at your own pace, and be happy about just showing up. Lift Ticket Discounts Korean ski resorts offer lift ticket discounts via a variety of platforms such as KLOOK, Coupang, Yanolja, GMarket, Auction, and more. Many of these apps require a Korean ID and banking information to make purchases. X3 Multi Resort Ski Passes in Korea In 2021 YongPong, Phoenix Pyeongchang, and High1 Resort began offering the X3 Season pass. The prices ranged from 400,000 – 650,000 won for the ski season depending on when and where the passes are purchased. Hopefully, more multi-pass ski resort options will become available in future years. If you are determined to get a lift ticket multi-pass, you can use a bi-lingual concierge service. Gear Rental at Gangwon-do Ski Resorts Each ski resort may have a different rental situation as they are all managed and operated under different conditions. While some may offer ski and snowboard rentals while others may need you to rent from nearby independent rental shops. We often prefer indie rental shops as they may offer 24-hour rentals which means we can ski in the evening and in the morning. Independent rental shops also offer goggles, jackets, pants, and helmet rentals (gloves and hats you usually need to bring). We have easily found clothing for women up to size 16. Such rentals are also surprisingly affordable. Around 15,000 – 45,000 for the day depending on what you need. 7 Best Gangwon-do Ski Resorts You can’t go wrong with any of the ski resorts in Gangwon-do. Want to know more about High1 Resort? Check this blog by Molly Hayden. Learn More About Resorts in Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do also has a number of smaller resorts that may offer easier access. Learn More About Back Country Skiing in South Korea One company does offer backcountry skiing and you can learn more on the South of Seoul blog. South of SeoulFounded in 2015, the South of Seoul team consists of volunteers on three continents working together to support English-speaking people traveling or living in South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers work with organizations and individuals across South Korea to improve equitable access to information across South Korea. Much of South of Seoul’s information focuses on Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Blogs published under the authorship of “South of Seoul” include blogs compiled by multiple volunteers to improve access to standardized information unrelated to individualized personal experiences. www.southofseoul.net

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Want to ski at midnight? Head to Jisan Forest!  https://blog.southofseoul.net/want-to-ski-at-midnight-head-to-jisan-forest/ Tue, 04 Jan 2022 04:31:08 +0000 https://blog.southofseoul.net/?p=7554 Molly Hayden

You can ski at midnight at Jisan Forest near Seoul and Pyeongtaek. A fun spot to blow off some steam after work if you don’t mind dodging the people. About Jisan Forest Ski Resort It’s not the highest, the largest, or the best ski resort in South Korea, but Jisan Forest Resort has its perks. It boasts seven small runs suited for beginners and is perfect for those wanting to hone their skills. It’s an easy drive and with tickets sold in chunks of a few hours, and late-night offerings available, it makes for a fun trip – day or night.   Location of Jisan Forest Ski Resort Jisan Forest Resort is located in Icheon, a short 45-minute jaunt from both Pyeongtaek and Seoul (if you manage the latter without traffic). The road to enter the parking lot and resort is a bit windy and bumpy, so use caution and drive slowly. Parking is free and lots fill up on the weekends.  Runs at Jisan Forest Ski Resort Runs are numbered 1-3 (beginners) and 5-8 (intermediate/advanced), beginning on the left if you are facing the slopes. Notice run 4 is skipped, as the number 4 is a symbol of bad luck here in South Korea. The largest vertical drop of the advanced hill measures around 200 meters.   Tips for Beginners at Jisan Forest Ski Resort If you hike up the tiny beginners’ hill all the way to the left, you can ski for free. This is great for absolute beginners learning their equipment, or to practice before getting on the lift. Once you take a lift or the magic carpet, the time on your ski pass begins. They also have a sledding hill located all the way to the right.  If you are a beginner, stay on the beginner’s hills. Even as an advanced skier, I found the intermediate hills to be hazardous due to the number of inexperienced riders. So many boarders and skiers were crashing into riders below them.  Be Careful of Others and Watchout for Yourself Anytime you are on the slope, it is your responsibility to take care not to run into anyone downhill from you. Unfortunately, this was not the case at Jisan Forest and we witnessed numerous injuries. The intermediate runs also seemed to be the most crowded. If you’re advanced, stick to run 6, and if you’re a beginner, runs 1-3 are best.  Gear at Jisan Forest Ski Resort All gear is available to rent at two different shops at the resort. Make sure to rent next to the slope you intend to ski so you’re not schlepping gear unnecessarily far. Masks are required; helmets are encouraged.  Costs at Jisan Forest Ski Resort Overall Jisan Forest is priced higher than I would expect for what you get. The cost is more or comparable to larger ski resorts like High1 will have far fewer runs and altitudes, and the prices for lessons at the ski school are more than double. But since it’s closer (45 minutes drive vs. 2.5 hours drive) is maybe worth the money spent. They did offer a military discount on the lift ticket for those who have an ID, but no price cut for kids, so my 6-year-old’s ticket ended up costing more than mine. Discounts are also available at 30% off when you pay with an affiliated credit card from Shinhan, KB, NH or Hana banks.  Prices are as follows: Adult/Child *Note these are the prices listed at the resort and differ greatly from what is listed on their website.  The lift card has a 1000 won deposit. There are machines to turn them in at the end of the day to receive your deposit back.  Hours and Times for Jisan Forest Ski Resort Hours for skiing are weekdays, 9 a.m. – 2 a.m., weekend Fri-Sat, 9 a.m. – 4 a.m.  Runs are closed for grooming 5- 6:30 p.m., Sun-Thursday; and 5- 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. – 12 a.m. Fri-Sat.  Jisan Forest Ski School Info For more info visit https://www.jisanresort.co.kr/en/index.asp, ski school information can be found here: http://laurenkidschool.com/. Then, after class you can try to ski at midnight at Jisan Forest. Molly HaydenJournalist Molly Hayden has worked in the journalism field in Germany and the United States. In 2021 she relocated to South Korea. As a volunteer Cultural Liason and Content Creator, Ms. Hayden reports on a variety of life & style topics with a focus on families living in rural South Korea.

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