Sunday, May 09, 2010

Show me a sign!
But I hope it is in English!

I can never overemphasize the importance of carrying a good map and guidebook with you when out on a hike-especially in unfamiliar territory. Yeah, I know this sounds like a sales pitch since I write guidebooks and work for a map company! But seriously, do you want to end up like me here pictured in South Korea's Seoraksan National Park?! The only place left in the crowded country remaining home to brown bears, could this sign reveal something about their whereabouts? Or am I on the right path to climb, Mount Seorak, the third highest peak in the country and one of the largest single slabs of granite in the world?
Good thing I had along a trusty guidebook-and a friend who spoke Korean! We never saw any bears on that trip but we did find our way to the summit of Mount Seorak!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Touring foreign countries would be hard without a guidebook. But for local stuff I use a gps, as long as it doesn't run out of batteries!