Ride: Gwangju, South Korea to Jeongeup, South Korea
Distance: 80.8km
Terrain: As we head back up through the countryside, we inevitably start to hit the mountains again. The first half of the trip is the same as the one to Damyang, so it’s best to hammer through that to leave plenty of time for the gradual climb that takes place for the next 10 kilometres. But then it’s downhill for the remaining 25 clicks until you get into town.
To interact with this map, visit Jess’s Strava account here.
Because we knew that today’s ride included a big climb, and Jess dreads big climbs, we woke up bright and early at 7 AM and were out the door by 8, packed and all ready to go. Cycling down the still quiet street, we marvelled at our ability to get a move on when the situation called for it and patted ourselves on the back for a job well done.
That is, until Neil realised that, in his haste, he had neglected to drop one kid off at the pool. Our elation quickly turned to tense nervousness as we rode aimlessly in vain for an open cafe to use their bathroom, only to find that the city had yet to fully wake up. Admitting defeat, we retraced our steps back to our motel to use the toilet there, effectively losing any ground we would have had from our quick start in the morning, and rendering the effort entirely meaningless.
When all was said and done, it was 9 AM when we finally hit the road and Jess was no longer speaking to Neil.
We knew what the first 40 kilometers lay in store because we had done the exact same stretch twice already going to and from Damyang. So for the third time in 24 hours, we took the now-familiar 4 Rivers Bike Trail to the Bamboo Forest, getting there before noon.
You’ll be aware by now that bizarre sights in the middle of nowhere have been something of theme on this trip, and today was no exception. This time it was a group of old folks gathering under an overpass to (wait for it) have band practice. No lie - they had set up music stands and were just warming up their saxophones and flutes when we rode past with a “YEOOOOOOO”.
At one of the designated rest points along the path, we came across a group of fellow local cyclists, one of whom offered us some delicious sliced Korean pear, which we graciously accepted. The cold, refreshing fruit was much appreciated on such a hot day like this, for the gesture just as much as the sustenance. It also stirred up a rare hunger, and figuring that it would be a good idea to fuel up before tackling the mountain pass up ahead, we stopped at the same noodle place as yesterday for an early lunch.
It was an entirely different place on the weekend. The quiet, shady river bank we had trundled along yesterday was now a full-on street market, with a throng of visitors who made it impossible for our now-fully-loaded tandem to get through. It took us a good 15 minutes to make our way along a path that took two minutes last time, and only added to our aggravation.
Eventually, we came upon a quiet side street that led us onto the bike trail again. We knew that the climb started right outside of Damyang, so for the first couple of clicks, we settled into a steady, gradual, manageable incline. But then it turned nasty, and not because of the slope, which never went above 6-7% (our limit is 8-9% before getting off and pushing). At this point, the sun was high above us and it was unbelievably hot. Every chance we got, we were taking breathers under what little and infrequent shade we could find, chugging water that was quickly disappearing, and hoping we’d have enough to get us through because there was no way we were getting more out here.
The views were about the most stunning we’d seen so far, though. Not even Jess’s vertigo could keep her from taking them in as we caught our breath. Mountains are a bitch to ride up, but there is some pride in knowing that you accomplished it under your own steam.
Then we peaked, and thus began the glorious descent - it was downhill for the remainder of the day and took no time at all. Lo and behold, at the foot on the other side was a sheltered pagoda with our name on it. It was as if it had been placed there on purpose, for all ye weary travellers with half a brain who thought it would be a great idea to cycle through such a country. As people who fit under that exact category, we allowed ourselves a minute’s rest in the peace and quiet.
We were also pleasantly surprised to find a random holiday town nearby, complete with a row of restaurants and motels. We could have stopped there if we were completely busted, but as it was only 3 PM and we had less than 20 km left to do, we decided to trundle on. We hit a bike path on the outskirts of Jeongeup and made our way into town, surrounded by foliage the entire way.
The entrance to Naejangsan National Park, which we unfortunately did not visit, but is by all rights a beautiful place.
