Olle trails 12 & 13
Olle 12 is shown in Purple and Olle 13 in blue.
6-7 December 2025
The previous three weeks at work had been very busy. I was working most evenings and did not feel that I could get away at weekends, as there was always something that I needed to do. Lesson preparations - marking assessments - writing reports - preparing make examination papers - lesson preparation - marking assessments - more reports ........ My father told me that if I worked hard at school, I would not have to work on a production line. In many ways, [after 35 years] teaching has seems not that much different, though definitely more rewarding, better holidays and opportunities for travel. I had been covering for a paternity leave and then other absent staff. I had not missed a day since starting the job 16 months earlier. I was determined to get away and do some walking. I felt like I really deserved it! Also, longed for a night out in my Nemo Kunai 2P tent with this being my fourth night using it.
Walking the Olle trails in order, the next on my list was Olle 12. The week ended with a parent's evening and following an already long day, I caught up on a few bits and pieces, so that I could head off with a clear conscience. The plan from the start was to do Olle 12 and then continue as far as the halfway stamp of Olle 13 with a camp on top of the tower at the Nakcheon Chair Park. Some "fishbone" decking anchors had arrived during the week. I was not sure about the boarding at the top of the tower - Would the anchors fit between the boards? I carried conventional pegs just in case.
I did not have time to pack my rucksack on the Friday evening so my start on the Saturday was a little later than ideal.
The seeds below are green mung beans drying in the sun.
The tower is a weather station.
Walking the Olle trails in order, the next on my list was Olle 12. The week ended with a parent's evening and following an already long day, I caught up on a few bits and pieces, so that I could head off with a clear conscience. The plan from the start was to do Olle 12 and then continue as far as the halfway stamp of Olle 13 with a camp on top of the tower at the Nakcheon Chair Park. Some "fishbone" decking anchors had arrived during the week. I was not sure about the boarding at the top of the tower - Would the anchors fit between the boards? I carried conventional pegs just in case.
I did not have time to pack my rucksack on the Friday evening so my start on the Saturday was a little later than ideal.
The seeds below are green mung beans drying in the sun.
The tower is a weather station.
At the end of Olle 12 I popped over to a convenience store for a can of Pepsi before continuing. I remembered the chapel from the last time, but I did not enter it the last time, partly because I was carrying a 70-200 lens. This time I had my 20-40mm lens attached to my Pentax K3 mkiii. This was better suited to photographing the chapel. I tend to carry a lighter lens when backpacking and I am trying to obtain different looking photographs from places I have visited before. After weeks of using my 100mm macro, I initially found this challenging. One becomes used to using a lens.
I am not sure that I approve of nine rods. The owner was a short distance away at his vehicle. The bait was sweetcorn and presumably he was fishing for carp.
Tiredness was beginning to set in on reaching the midpoint stamp and the adjacent Nakcheon Chair Park. I headed up the tower, initially without my pack. There was a bit of a breeze, but the boards looked ideal. I was looking for stealth, though a bright flame-yellow (Nemo call it "torch") tent is not particularly stealth and the mini air pump is noisy. Nobody bothered me and I had the place entirely to myself. There was a "7 Eleven" store nearby for cooked sausage, hard-boiled eggs and a can of beer. I was carrying my small Leophoto tripod, which was ideal for some 30s shutter speed night photography.
It was a very still night, despite my relatively exposed camp at the top of a tower. While the Kunai 2P tent is described as a 3-4 season tent, I have yet to test it in more inclement weather. After four nights, not an inglorious rain drop has fallen on it. Perhaps it is an American thing, but they are miserly with the pegs, bungees and guy lines. I have bought six extra pegs, made up four clip on (mini carabiner) guy lines and bought some 15cm bungee loops (with balls).
I set off about 45 minutes later than planned. I do not know what happened to my alarm! I only had around 8km of walking to the end, which meant that I should be home in time for a shower before heading off to the Jeju World Cup Stadium for a a 2pm kick-off.
I had not been walking for long, before I took a wrong turn. A vehicle had passed me and, shortly afterwards, the lady from it shouted at me and ran towards me, not to tell me that I was going the wrong way, but to give me a bag of tangerines. I weighed them on arriving home and the mass was 2.25kg. This was a very kind gesture, but it did mean that I needed to carry an extra 2.25kg for the rest of the route.
I set off about 45 minutes later than planned. I do not know what happened to my alarm! I only had around 8km of walking to the end, which meant that I should be home in time for a shower before heading off to the Jeju World Cup Stadium for a a 2pm kick-off.
I had not been walking for long, before I took a wrong turn. A vehicle had passed me and, shortly afterwards, the lady from it shouted at me and ran towards me, not to tell me that I was going the wrong way, but to give me a bag of tangerines. I weighed them on arriving home and the mass was 2.25kg. This was a very kind gesture, but it did mean that I needed to carry an extra 2.25kg for the rest of the route.
I was indeed back in time to meet up with friends for the football match. It was the second leg of a playoff against Suwon Bluewings from K2. Jeju SK were playing for their survival in the K1 league. Jeju started the match with a goal advantage from the first leg and it was not long before they scored to be 2-0 up on aggregate. That did kill the game a bit, but they did score another to win 2-0 on the day and 3-0 on aggregate. So, I will be entertained by some more K1 league football when the 2026 season starts on 15 February 2026. Hopefully, I will be up to about Olle 18 by then!
