October 9, 2017

Skiing in Gangwon, South Korea

From Autumn to Spring. And now I'm gonna write about Winter hahaha.

One of the things I love about winter is that I get to play with snowwww. *cue Frozen songs*
And I've started to love winter sports. So far, I only had experience skiing and snowboarding in Japan, specifically in Gala Yuzawa. Since the PyeongChang Winter Olympic is coming next year in February, perhaps you and I should head to Gangwon province, South Korea for a ski trip :)

Why Gangwon, you wonder?

Gangwon is the top winter destination in Korea cos it is the snowiest province in Korea. For about 66 days from November to March, Gangwon has an average of 250cm of snow. The average temperature is about -4.8°c throughout the winter, which maintains optimal ski conditions so that skiers can demonstrate their full capacities.

There are 8 large-scale recreation resorts in Gangwon which are very popular among Korean people in winter. Each resort has great slopes for skiing and snowboarding, unique events, and a variety of accommodations for everyone’s comfort and convenience.

#1 Alpensia Resort


Alpensia Resort is an entertainment destination centre located at the highland which stands 700m above sea level. Alpensia features many fascinating facilities including main stadium, golf courses and world-class ski slopes and ski jump slopes to host the Winter Olympic Games perfectly.



#2 Elysian Gangchon


Elysian Gangchon is only 40 minutes away by train from Seoul. Gangchon guarantees exciting and comfortable skiing with 1,000m for beginners, intermediate skiers, and experts. Enjoy stable and comfortable skiing on valley slopes and exciting and refreshing skiing on ridgeline slopes. A theme park made of 10 themes is another unique attraction of Gangchon and Gangchon Channel Park is an extreme park that takes anybody, from beginners to pro skiers, to the world of fantastic extremes.



#3 Oak Valley


Oak Valley includes 9 various slopes, express lifts, and world-class half pipe courses. As its name says, skiers ski down slopes along snow-covered oak forests. If you enjoy night skiing, they end at 4 am!



#4 Welli Hilli Park


Welli Hilli Park’s slopes has been recognized by the International Ski Federation for its size and safety. As the host of the 2009 Snowboard World Championships, it is one of the best places for snowboarding in Korea. All slopes are opened to snowboarders; the Half Pipe Park, exclusive for snowboarding, is most popular among snowboarders.



#5 Vivaldi Park


Vivaldi Park has good accessibility from Seoul area so many visitors come here. The park hosts the Viva Ski Festival, a festival combining ski training and Korean food experience. During this festival, you can learn skiing as well as attend Korean food cooking class. You also will have chance to enjoy various Korean street & traditional food. For Muslim travellers, prayer room can be provided and also halal certified restaurants can be found inside the park.



Check out the website for more info on Viva Ski Festival.



#6 Phoenix Pyeongchang


Phoenix Pyeongchang proudly presents the natural valley slope of 1,050m-tall Mt. Taegi with outstanding snow conditions. It’s one of the best ski resorts in Korea. Each of the 21 courses has unique designs, looking out to the 500m-wide panoramic ski base, and guarantees dynamic and exciting speed. Various attractions in the Terrain Park include the Extreme Park for beginners and a mini half pipe and jumping deck for snowboarders.



#7 YongPyong Resort


Yongpyong Resort is Asia’s second ski resort to be certified by the International Ski Federation. It successfully held the World Cup Ski Competition in 1998 and 2000 and the 1999 Winter Asian Games and has been very popular among skiers from Europe and other parts of Asia.



The resort hosts the Fun Ski and Snow Tube Festival, offering a fun and exciting winter experience with skiing and snowboarding lessons taught by expert instructors, skiing competitions and award ceremonies, and a wide range of hands-on programs and performances.



#8 High 1 Resort


High 1 Resort is another major ski resorts in Korea. High 1 resort is a big complex of accommodation, golf, themed park, ski and casino.


They offer Go! Go! ski program where participants can take part in expert-taught skiing lessons of varying difficulty as well as performances and events to experience the beauty and charm of Korean culture.


If you are interested to learn skiing, there's also the Korea International Ski Camp held at High1 Resort and Alpensia Ski Resort. Details here.




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