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SKIING WITH SEOUL

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ABIGAIL BUTCHER visits the slopes and the capital of South Korea, for a family skiing holiday with a di� erence

the pistes of south korea are ideal for beginners

 A small group of children are carefully snowploughing down a painstakingly well-groomed slope, while two instructors keep a watchful eye over proceedings. The sun is shining, and although there’s quite a chill in the air

– even for a ski resort – the kids are clearly having a ball. An hour later, it’s everyone inside for steaming

bowls of noodles; tasty, healthy and hearty lunches for around £4 a pop. The base lodge restaurant � lls with chatter and laughter for a while before, as fast as they � lled, the tables empty and skiers of all ages clatter back to the slopes.

I’m in Alpensia, South Korea, one of the ski resorts that in three years’ time will host the Winter Olympics, and I can’t think of a more quirky place to take your family skiing, nor one that will immerse children in a culture so di� erent from their everyday life.

There are 17 ski resorts in South Korea, but the biggest and most suitable for families are the resorts

hosting the Olympics, clustered in the Taebaek Mountains in PyeongChang, two hours’ drive north-east of Seoul. Alpensia and its neighbour YongPyong, the country’s largest ski resort, lie within a 30-minute drive of each other.

While YongPyong has 32km of pistes, 28 slopes, 15 chairlifts and a long conveyor-belt-type ‘magic carpet’ lift serving the nursery slopes, experienced skiing parents looking for steeps and deeps, be warned: you won’t � nd it here. While the longest run in YongPyong is a decent 3km, the skiing here is mainly equivalent to Europe’s blues and greens, with no speeding allowed, so it’s perfect for beginners and less adventurous intermediates. But the Koreans are good skiers – you’ll see some fantastic carving – and there are a couple of more challenging blacks. The resort will play host to the Olympic downhills on Rainbows 1, 2, 3 and 4, which are de� nitely worth their salt.

For novelty value, there’s night skiing until midnight (yes, really), and the gondola to the top of Mount Balwang at 1,458m is an astonishing 2.5 miles long with stunning views of the East Sea (on a clear day) and an ice cream parlour at the top. The Koreans like their ice cream and, come rain or shine, snow or howling wind, you’ll � nd them queuing for sweet delights.

LOOKING EASTClockwise from top left: Alpensia from the air; Gyeongbokgung Palace; the Seoul district of Gangnam; downtown Seoul is a colourful spot; the manicured slopes of Alpensia; the buzzing Gwangjang Market; at the end of the day, Koreans ‘wash’ their equipment with pressurised air

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displaying the region at its best: clean, crisp and bright. So why bother coming all this way to ski – other

than ideal conditions for children and beginners? I’d say for something di� erent – it’s not just a sport holiday. Combine time on the slopes with a few days in Seoul.

The capital is a cosmopolitan city, and kids of all ages will enjoy a visit to the district of Gangnam (yes, as in ‘Gangnam Style’. I did, and I’m 40), the technological wonders of Samsung HQ and the city’s bustling Gwangjang market to ogle curious foodstu� s – think chicken feet, and worse – but sit down to warming, tasty snacks like ricecakes, dumplings, kimchi and chicken soup. Parents can wash it down with a shot of the local soju — a saki-like drink, hilariously pronounced ‘sod you’.

When you’re done eating, take a tour of the temples and the stunning Gyeongbokgung Palace, which dates back to 1395 and served as the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty.

Let your children live the culture with a stay in a traditional Korean house (hanok) in the well-preserved traditional Bukchon village,just a stone’s throw from the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo, a Confucian shrine.

A more sobering day trip from Seoul is a visit to the demilitarised zone (DMZ) an-hour-and-a-half ’s drive north of the capital. The two-mile strip of land separating North and South Korea is startling evidence of the silent war going on between the two countries. Crawling with troops, guard posts, tanks, tunnels, missiles, bunkers, gun emplacements and land mines, it’s living history, and you can stare across the no-man’s land towards the North from the Dora Observatory. The virtually abandoned Dorasan railway station is a stark reminder of this living history – no better way for children to learn.

Another activity kids will love is a walkdown one of the in� ltration tunnels – designed for massive troop movement in a potential invasion of the South – an activity that really hammers home the lengths to which North Korea has gone to in� ltrate the South.

A family ski holiday to Korea will be unlike anything you’ve experienced before, and while the skiing itself might not set the world alight, it’s a modern history lesson, cultural eye-opener and a thrilling adventure that everyone will remember for a long time to come. ■

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When you’re teaching kids to ski, convenience is key, and the accommodation at YongPyong is right at the base of the slopes. Within the hotel and apartment complex are souvenir shops, a mini supermarket, another ice cream parlour with countless ¢ avours, and a couple of bars. There’s an extensive games arcade and fantastic waterpark with wave machine, slides, pools and saunas, as well as several good eateries – including an excellent Korean BBQ, where you cook your own food on a hotplate in the centre of the table.

Koreans prefer to lay mats on the ¢ oor to sleep, but the four-star Dragon Valley Hotel has rooms with beds – though guests are expected to respect the local custom of removing their shoes on entering a room.

The surprising thing about South Korea is how orderly it is. I’d expected a rush of Asia – and had wondered how snow and mountains would stack up against the usual sights and smells of the Orient, but the Koreans are gentle people and know how to queue. Everywhere is clean, and the wide roads are awash with new vehicles obeying the speed limit – it’s rather like America with an Asian language.

At the end of each day, to avoid dragging snow and water into the buildings at the base of the ski area, everyone rests their skis on racks and ‘washes’ o� the snow using high-pressured air. It’s a sight to behold. As are the ski instructors lined up every morning doing their warm-up exercises. You can’t fault South Koreans for e� ort.

Nearby Alpensia is a more upmarket o� ering, reminiscent of an Intrawest resort such as Whistler, but on a smaller scale. It will host the Olympic ski jumping, and you can already tour the jump – brilliant for curious children who are able to see exactly how high and scary the top platform is. There’s also a ski museum, with exhibits dating back centuries, including memorabilia from when the Japanese introduced skiing here during the country’s occupation of Korea in the � rst half of the 1900s.

Most startling is the scenery. From the top of every mountain there’s a stunning view, and during my trip in January 2015 we experienced wall-to-wall sunshine,

temples and the stunning Gyeongbokgung Palace, which dates back to 1395 and served as the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty.

in a traditional Korean house (well-preserved traditional Bukchon village,just a stone’s throw from the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo, a Confucian shrine.

to the demilitarised zone (DMZ) an-hour-and-a-half ’s drive north of the capital. The two-mile strip of land separating North and South Korea is startling evidence of the silent war going on between the two countries. Crawling with troops, guard posts, tanks, tunnels, missiles, bunkers, gun emplacements and land mines, it’s living history, and you can stare across the no-man’s land towards the North from the Dora Observatory. The virtually abandoned Dorasan railway station is a stark reminder of this living history – no better way for children to learn.

down one of the in� ltration tunnels – designed for massive troop movement in a potential invasion of the South – an activity that really hammers home the lengths to which North Korea has gone to in� ltrate the South.

anything you’ve experienced before, and while the skiing itself might not set the world alight, it’s a modern history lesson, cultural eye-opener and a thrilling adventure that everyone will remember for a long time to come.

BOOK ITBA fl ies direct from Heathrow

to Seoul’s Incheon Airport (ICN) in just under 11 hours.

Seoul to Yongpyong ski resort takes 2-3 hours by car, but a

high-speed train is being built in time for the Winter Olympics

(9-25 February 2018).

Two operators currently run ski trips to South Korea: Ski Safari

(which runs a trip in conjunction with Japan) and Diff erent Snow.

A nine-day trip with Diff erent Snow (diff erentsnow.com) costs £5,895 for a family of four, based

on four nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel and three nights at

a traditional hanok guesthouse in Seoul, including fl ights, transfers,

lift pass, ski and boot hire and DMZ excursion from Seoul.

A two-hour private ski lesson in English for up to three

people in YongPyong costs £150; four hours is £200.

For more, visit gokorea.co.uk

SOUTH KOREATHE LOWDOWN family traveller.com

AT THE END OF EACH DAY,

KOREANS ‘WASH’ THEIR SKIS WITH HIGH-PRESSURED

AIR HOSES

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we experienced wall-to-wall sunshine,

Two operators currently run ski trips to South Korea: Ski Safari

(which runs a trip in conjunction with Japan) and Diff erent Snow.

Snow (diff erentsnow.com) costs £5,895 for a family of four, based

Valley Hotel and three nights at a traditional Seoul, including fl ights, transfers,

A two-hour private ski lesson

FACE OFFAt the border in the DMZ, North and South Korean soldiers stare each other down

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Wintersports Korea... home of the 2018 Olympic Games!Featured Tour OperatorFor the full list of UK Tour Operators offering the best Wintersports

Holidays, Stopovers and Tours to Korea see;

www.GoKorea.co.ukEmail: London@GoKorea.co.uk

Tel: 020 7321 2535 01242 242 505 | differentsnow.com

korea@differentsnow.com

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