Development of Mountaineering Routes and Maintenance
Backgrounds
As the popularity of mountaineering has grown, the heavily used trials have been damaged. The ground has eroded, making for uncomfortable hiking. Except for the national parks and a few mountaineering routes in the suburbs, many trails are not well maintained because of a small budget. Maintenance is urgently needed. Damaged routes hinder safe mountaineering and have a significant impact on the forest ecosystem.
Projects
Since 2003, the Korea Forest Service has been repairing damaged mountaineering routes on major ridges, including Baekdu-daegan. In 2007, the maintenance project was expanded to popular routes in the suburbs. The project aims to restore the trails back to their undamaged condition. The trails are classified according to the degree of damage before they are gradually moved into the restoration service.
The structural improvement of steep slopes or significantly damaged forest areas has been promoted for the safety of hikers and the protection of the forest ecosystem. As hiking becomes a major part of the mountaineering culture, more effort has been committed to improving infrastructure, including the development of trekking courses.