Skiing in Korea
For our ski trip to Korea, the travel agency arranged for us to go to Phoenix Snow Resort in Gangwon Province, about a two-hour drive from Seoul. This resort was also the main filming location for the popular Korean TV drama "Autumn in My Heart." The SAINT Hotel where we stayed was right across from the resort’s advanced slopes. Just a ten-minute walk from the hotel is the ski equipment rental center. The center has two floors: the lower level houses a supermarket, ski rental counters, and shops, while the second floor features a large restaurant and several stores selling ski gear. The entrance directly faces the slopes—you can either walk out to the slopes or take the indoor corridor on the second floor to access the gondola lift area without going outside.
As the gondola slowly ascended, the full view of the mountainous Phoenix Snow Resort came into sight. The first impression was that this resort is huge. There are three lifts leading to the mountaintop at an altitude of 1,050 meters—two chairlifts and one gondola. On a slightly lower peak, there are also two semi-gondola, semi-chairlifts. Additionally, there are four chairlifts serving beginner slopes, the snowboard park, and the jump ramps. The resort has a total of 21 runs for beginners, intermediates, and advanced skiers, four of which are certified by the FIS (International Ski Federation). Looking out from the mountaintop, the world was blanketed in white, with a winding road stretching into the distance. The small wooden cabins in the mountain town below dotted the landscape, and the trees and ground were all pure white, resembling a fairy-tale world.
At the top, there were diagrams explaining the different runs, but unfortunately, we couldn’t understand them, so we started with what looked like the easier slopes. Later, after checking some online resources, we learned that the resort has 8 beginner runs, 4 intermediate runs, 7 advanced runs, and 2 expert runs. Surprisingly, the expert runs have a maximum incline of 36 degrees, while the most advanced ones reach up to 27 degrees—I really don’t get what that “most” is supposed to mean.
Being new to the place, the five of us on twin boards immediately started tearing down the runs as soon as we got off the gondola. We went from beginner to intermediate, then intermediate to advanced, one run after another, non-stop. The runs are nearly 50 meters wide and up to 2.2 kilometers long, with slopes as steep as 30 degrees. We did big and small turns, going straight down from the mountaintop to the equipment center. There weren’t many people, so we could ski however we wanted. The lifts were fast, with no delays at all.
Phoenix Snow Resort operates 24 hours a day, with skiing divided into six time slots: 08:30–10:30 in the morning; 10:00–14:00 in the late morning/early afternoon; 13:30–17:30 in the afternoon; 19:30–23:00 in the evening; 23:00–01:30 late night; and 00:00–04:30 in the early morning. We bought tickets from 12:00 noon to 11:00 pm. The tour guide had pre-booked them for 70,000 KRW, which is about 450 RMB. After completing the procedures, the guide gave each of us an orange-red vest to wear, with the words “Phoenix Snow Resort Ski School” printed on it. We could go up and down the lifts without any issues, though wearing the vest over our already bulky ski suits looked a bit silly.
At 5:00 pm, the resort temporarily closed for slope grooming, which involves machine packing of the runs. It reopened at 6:00 pm. At first, we were a bit skeptical—could they groom over 20 runs in just one hour? But when we saw what happened, we realized that the lift to the top stopped operating at 4:30 pm, and by 5:00 pm, seven snow groomers lined up neatly on the runs. In one pass, each run was done. By 6:00 pm, all the runs had been groomed, and the resort reopened. When we took the first gondola up to the top and skied down the pristine corduroy snow, there was only one word to describe it—awesome!!
This ski trip to Korea had two purposes: one was to see how foreign ski resorts compare to those in China, and the other was to experience night skiing. I had initially worried that the lighting for night skiing wouldn’t be bright enough and that wearing ski goggles might affect my performance—but those worries turned out to be completely unfounded. As night fell, all the lights in the resort came on. Under the glow of the massive lights, Phoenix Snow Resort at night was as bright as daylight and incredibly enchanting. Powerful rock music echoed throughout every corner of the resort, making it feel less like a ski area and more like a giant party. Skiing at night for the first time felt completely natural—there was no awkwardness at all, and each run felt just like it did during the day. On a cat track next to an intermediate run, the snow had been deeply carved by ski tracks. A few Korean pros (seemingly instructors) were practicing—crouching low, extending, and twisting in one fluid motion. Their stylish outfits and graceful moves made for a beautiful sight on the slopes.
After returning, I talked with many fellow skiers, and my biggest takeaway about Phoenix Snow Resort is the diversity of its runs. Whether you’re on a snowboard or twin skis, you can have a great time here. It has a snowboard park, multiple connected jumps, a halfpipe, moguls, and long beginner, intermediate, and advanced runs. Eight lifts quickly distribute skiers, so you don’t have to wait too long. The night skiing also caters to those who enjoy skiing after dark. As long as you have the stamina, you can ski all the way until 4:30 am.
Little Tips: There are many rental shops for ski gear and clothing along the roads outside the resort. Inside the equipment center, there are numerous coin-operated lockers on the first and second floors. It costs 1,000 KRW (two 500 KRW coins) for one use—remember, it’s only for one use. If you open the locker to take something out and then put something else in, you’ll need to pay again. Lockers with the lucky number 8 cost 1,500 KRW for one use. There’s hot water at the entrance of the first-floor lobby, perfect for making instant noodles or tea. Outside the lobby, there’s a ski storage area, also costing 1,000 KRW per use. Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside or outside the resort, but there are designated smoking areas enclosed by tree branches at both the mountaintop and base areas.
