[Anchor]
Many easily expect that heading to the mountains to escape the intense heat will keep them cool, but that is not always the case. In fact, there are many trails lacking shade where people must watch out for the blazing sun.
Reporter Jang Seon-i visited the site to see what it is like.
[Reporter]
At midday, with temperatures soaring well past 35°C (95°F).
I climbed a trail in Dobongsan National Park.
Even while walking under the shade of trees, the moment the shade clears, the sunlight beats down directly.
When a thermal imaging camera is turned on, the colors change completely despite being on the same trail.
Ground covered by tree shade is 34.3°C (94°F), but just a few steps away in the blazing sun section, the surface temperature skyrockets to 74.3°C (166°F).
The heat beating down from above is combined with the heat rising from beneath the feet.
After climbing for just 30 minutes, the sweat does not stop.
The reporter's body temperature, which was 36.9°C (98°F) before the hike, rose to 37.6°C (100°F) in just 30 minutes.
Hikers continue to visit despite the heatwave.
[Moon Il-su / Nowon-gu, Seoul: If I feel dizzy, I sit down and rest in the shade for a bit before moving on.]
Looking from a drone, sections completely exposed to the blazing sun, such as the Yeosinbong Peak area, stand out.
In such sections of rocks and ridges without shade, the risk of heat-related illnesses as well as fall accidents due to dizziness increases.
[Seo Se-hong / Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi Province: You cannot go on the rocks because they are too hot. When heading to the ridges, there is too much sunlight, so I do not go nowadays.]
The annual number of heatwave days increased from 14.2 days in 2023 to 29.7 days last year.
Over the same period, the number of mountain rescue personnel for heat-related accidents such as exhaustion and dehydration during summer also rose from 162 to 248.
The Korea National Park Service has stepped up with countermeasures.
For the first time this year, the Korea National Park Service designated 55 sections nationwide lacking shade or having steep slopes as "Heatwave Vulnerable Trails."
[Kim In-su / Head of Safety Policy Department, Disaster and Safety Division, Korea National Park Service: If abnormal symptoms such as vomiting or fever occur, you should descend immediately, take sufficient rest, and if symptoms are severe, you must call 119 or visit a hospital.]
While consuming plenty of water and taking breaks in between while hiking helps, it is best not to climb heatwave-vulnerable trails in weather hotter than that.
(Video by: Cho Chang-hyun | Video editing by: Kim Jong-tae | Footage provided by: Korea National Park Service)
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