Lo Huu Duc Anh, who is 24 years old, is a Vietnamese young man who has an immense passion and wants to explore every corner of Korea. At the beginning of 2022, he took a long trip to Hambaeksan mountain located in Taebaek, Gangwon Province. The enormous mountain covered in snow is called “the fairytale of winter”.

Duc Anh and other photographers took pictures of the scenery. Photo: Lo Huu Duc Anh

Hambaeksan has a height of 1.573 metres, and attract many tourists from all over the world in the wintertime. The day when Duc Anh went climbing, there were only about 50 people, who made the trip despite the freezing temperature. The mountains in Korea are all below 2.000 metres in height, and each has a safe climbing route. However, it was not easy to conquer the mountain because of many factors, especially the cold weather and strong wind.

Duc Anh’s team includes six other people, one of them was a Vietnamese compatriot. The trip was led by a Korean man whose name was Onaga, and they wished to see and took many photoshoots of the beautiful scenery of the mountain with white snow. Duc Anh said he usually went at night, and he could have to travel hundreds of kilometres to capture a rare and wonderful moment, then go back. That’s why he treasures every photograph that he got because they were the results of hard work and dedication.

The fairytale beauty of the mountain. Photo: Lo Huu Duc Anh

This trip, as Duc Anh called it, is “risky”. It was risky because it was done without any careful preparation, and he only wore a pair of sports shoes despite the freezing cold. However, the young man knew his capability and did not let the disadvantages stop him. The trip was a surprise since Onaga invited him to join it unexpectedly. After they got in the car, Duc Anh fell asleep with tiredness, and mentally prepare himself for the challenges ahead of him. To them, this trip was like opening a gift without knowing what you will get.

Photo: Lo Huu Duc Anh

When the team got to the foot of Hambaeksan mountain, they ate a quick meal before starting the climb. Duc Anh had been here once in 2021, but he was not able to finish the trek for several factors. This time, they chose the route for motors, which made the trekking much easier, just much like walking, but it got steeper the higher they climbed.

When they reached the peak, Duc Anh felt the cold slip into his sports shoes and nearly froze his feet. Each strong wind blew around him, and it was like a knife cutting into the skin. At that moment, he took out his phone to live stream the scene for his friends, but it shut down. He still got time to take beautiful photographs, then burst out in tears of happiness and excitement.

Photo: Lo Huu Duc Anh

The enormous natural scenery in front of Duc Anh’s eyes made his heart skip a beat, and he forgot the cold and exhaustion. The most beautiful moment was when the sunset behind the mountain, and the sky slowly went dark, revealing the sparkling stars. It sent a wave of peacefulness and content feelings through the young man’s mind as he watched his friends gazing at the sky in amazement. It was one of the most memorable mornings in their life.

After watching the dawn, the team went back to the car, walking slowly through the snowy forest and watching the warm sun shining through the foliage. Their feelings were so hard to describe. “It felt like you were embraced by Mother Nature and the forest. It was peaceful. Was that the peacefulness that we have been seeking for so long?” Duc Anh said emotionally.

Photo: Lo Huu Duc Anh

Saying goodbye to the beautiful scenery, the team went back home. “It was cold today, and you all have done so well”, the Korean guide said, and this was one of the sentences that Duc Anh loved most. He said he often heard it in Korean movies. It made him feel much better with all the efforts, which paid off in the end.

“Get out of your comfort zone to see the world”. This is Duc Anh’s motto. He said if he did not leave his comfortable and warm bedroom then he would never know what is waiting for him out there, that’s why he decided to climb the mountain. To him, it is not easy to conquer the cold weather and height of the mountain, and people should prepare carefully before the journey both mentally and physically.

The sunset on the mountain. Photo: Lo Huu Duc Anh

The young man hopes he will get more chances to visit, explore and challenge himself more with harder climbing and trekking route. At the moment, he aims to see more tourist destinations in Korea before coming back to Vietnam.

Vietnamese Students In New York Celebrate Lunar New Year Together Nearly 200 overseas Vietnamese students in the US gathered in New York on February 5 night (US time) to join a Lunar New Year festival ...

Man Collects Historical Vietnamese Money In nearly 12 years of collecting old money, Hung has owned more than thousands of kinds of money, coins of Vietnam throughout history.

The Story Of 30-Year Journey Of A Vietnamese Flag Collector During 30 years of traveling around the world, Phuoc Truong has collected 130 flags from all the countries he visited.