About

Kathleen

I first met the Bruce brothers back in 2009 when I came to Ulsan, Korea to teach English. Luckily, our Korean co-teachers were friends and therefore placed Rob and me in the same love motel for a week while we waited for our apartments to be ready. Not long after meeting Rob, he introduced me to his almost identical brother, Mark.

Numerous mountains, several countries, a few years, and many adventures later, the three of us are all back on the Peninsula to hike the Baekdu Daegan; something we've been talking about doing ever since we first heard about it. I'm looking forward to Breathing the Daegan with these guys for the next couple of months. 

Rob (aka Raby Johnson)
 

So I'm back on the ridge. Back on the 'daegan, the old white man,
spine of the tiger, energetic pulse of the Korean people. Back to
attempt once more the pilgrimage along this unbroken mountain chain
that runs through the Korean peninsula.
A brief history - this will be my second crack at this trek. I first
tried it solo in 2011 and after 12 days and 180kms filled with mental
anguish, physical pain, wild joy and reckless epiphanies I walked off
the trail 7kgs lighter, a broken man with broken boots, but a lot of
unfinished business with this trail!
This time I'm armed with two able? companions, a little more
experience. and an idea of what I'm in for. Here's to a successful
journey...

Mark

Rob had told me about the Baekdu Daegan, the Great Ridge of South Korea that he attempted to walk solo a few years back. He failed then, and he had unfinished business with the ridge. While discussing future plans one rainy summer's day in New Zealand, Rob and I somehow reached the decision that we should go to South Korea and make a fresh attempt to walk the Daegan. Rob emailed Kathleen, our old travel partner who had made a similar attempt at the Daegan not long after Rob. She too had failed and had similar unfinished business. Four months later, we touched down in Seoul!

Why the Daegan? Not sure, really, I'm not a huge fan of hiking. I guess the lure is the people, the culture, the myths and stories and Buddhist spaces that infiltrate the beautiful forest and moutains of South Korea. The walking is just a small part of what this trip is about, a means through which we can tap into the spirit of South Korea, to learn something. Travel (for me) is observing: observing, taking notes, and then engaging - experimenting with different ways of living. The Baekdu Daegan promises plenty of opportunity to practise living differently; to extend my experimentation in circumstances that I could not create by remaining in New Zealand, or by travelling through South Korea via the conventional means of car, train or bus. 

So, the Daegan adventure shall begin, the ridge is waiting patiently, but it will not be denied - a blank canvas for experimentation. I hope that I become a bigger fan of hiking. I am glad of my two travel companions and full of confidence that we can make it.

And so, it shall unfold!