Expected It to Be Cooler, But... Visiting a Heatwave-Vulnerable Hiking Trail

[Anchor]

Many easily expect that heading to a mountain with plenty of trees to escape the intense heat will make things cooler, but that is not always the case. The Korea National Park Service has designated heatwave-vulnerable hiking trails for the first time this year.

Reporter Jang Seon-i went up to see what these places are actually like.

[Reporter]

In the middle of the day, with temperatures well exceeding 35°C (95°F).

I climbed the hiking trail in Dobongsan National Park.

Even while walking under the shade of trees, the moment the shade clears, the sunlight beats down directly.

Turning on a thermal imaging camera, the colors change completely along the exact same trail.

The ground covered by tree shade is 34.3°C (94°F), while the scorching section just a few steps away sees surface temperatures soar up to 74.3°C (166°F).

The sunlight beating down from above is combined with the heat rising from underfoot.

Having climbed for only 30 minutes, the sweat does not stop.

My 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 scorching heat.

[Moon Il-su / Nowon-gu, Seoul: If I feel dizzy, I sit down and rest in the shade for a bit before moving on.]

Flying a drone reveals sections entirely exposed to the blazing sun, such as the area around Yeoseongbong Peak.

In such rock and ridge sections without shade, the risk of heat-related illnesses as well as fall accidents due to dizziness increases significantly.

[Seo Se-hong / Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi Province: You cannot go on the rocks because they are too hot. When you go to the ridge, there is a lot of sunlight, so I do not go there these days.]

The annual number of heatwave days increased from 14.2 days in 2023 to 29.7 days last year.

During the same period, the number of people rescued from mountain accidents related to heat, such as exhaustion and dehydration during the summer, also increased from 162 to 248.

The Korea National Park Service has stepped up to come up with countermeasures.

This year, for the first time, the Korea National Park Service designated 55 sections nationwide lacking shade or having steep slopes as heatwave-vulnerable hiking trails.

[Kim In-su / Head of Safety Measures Division, Disaster and Safety Department, Korea National Park Service: If abnormal symptoms occur, such as vomiting or fever, you should descend immediately and take adequate rest. If your symptoms are severe, you must call 119 or visit a hospital.]

While consuming plenty of water and taking regular breaks while climbing helps, it is best not to hike on heatwave-vulnerable trails during excessively hot weather.

(Camera: Cho Chang-hyun | Video Editing: Kim Jong-tae | Footage courtesy of Korea National Park Service)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.