[Korea Travel]Coaches Are Affordable—5 Top Reasons to Ski in Korea

Tripbaa FunTimes!, Asia’s Free Independent Travel Experts

Before you know it, we’ve reached the second half of 2018. Have you started planning your New Year's or winter holiday itinerary yet? When it comes to the most classic way to enjoy winter, skiing in Japan or Korea is definitely the go-to choice, right? In recent years, an increasing number of people have been skiing in Korea—not only because it’s more affordable, but also due to the many additional services that make the value for money in Korea incredibly high, even more appealing than skiing in Japan.

Generally speaking, skiing in Japan during winter costs about NT$3,000–5,000 per day, and since most ski resorts in Japan are located in remote suburban areas, you might also have to cover expensive transportation fees and other miscellaneous costs. But in Korea, for just over NT$3,000 per day, you can join a professional ski tour led by expert coaches and have a blast Up!

Korea Skiing vs. Japan Skiing. (Photo / Tripbaa FunTimes!, Asia’s Free Independent Travel Experts)

As mentioned earlier, because ski resorts cover vast areas, both Japanese and Korean ski resorts are usually some distance from city centers, often taking 1–3 hours to reach. If you’re just trying skiing for the first time and don’t want to splurge on staying in a ski village, you’ll have to arrange and manage how to get to the resort yourself—which can be quite a hassle.

Unlike ski tours in Japan, most one-day ski tours in Korea now offer extremely convenient city pickups. All you need to do is head to major transit hubs such as Myeongdong or Hongdae to board the ski tour shuttle bus. This not only saves time and hassle but also allows you to catch up on some sleep on the way—no need to worry nervously about missing your stop. Just sleep soundly; you’ll be woken up when you arrive at the ski resort.

For beginner skiers, aside from cost and transportation, learning “how to ski” is also a crucial consideration. Needless to say, having professional instructors and lessons is essential. But if you can get an instructor who speaks Chinese and communicates easily, it will definitely help reduce the anxiety and mistakes beginners often make—preventing you from not enjoying the slopes just because you can’t understand the English ski instructions after traveling all this way.

Korean Ski Experience – Professional Instruction. (Photo / High One Official Website)

After considering these essential factors, you’re basically ready to hit the slopes. However, for beginners, simply learning how to use the ski equipment, how to ski, and getting back up again after repeated falls takes a lot of effort. If you also want to take stunning photos, it really takes superhuman determination. Wouldn’t it be great if the ski tour included an on-tour photographer?

So, if you’re planning to join a one-day ski tour, consider this factor as well and calculate which ski tour offers the better value for money.

If you have a bit of budget and prefer a more relaxed trip, you could actually consider staying directly in a resort within a Korean ski resort. Compared to Japan, many ski resorts in Korea aren’t very expensive, and the proximity allows you to spend more time skiing. When you think about it, it offers pretty good value and is much more relaxing.

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After reading the above reasons to ski in Korea, let me tell you how to choose a ski resort in Korea. You can generally select based on travel time, slope level, and experience level:

If you don’t want to join any Korean ski tours and just want to experience some snow play at a ski resort near Seoul, consider those that are only 1–1.5 hours away. These closer ski resorts allow you to spend more time skiing. Among them, the Elysian Ski Resort can even be reached by taking the subway and transferring to the resort shuttle bus.

These three Korean ski resorts all have multiple beginner slopes, making them very beginner-friendly—definitely a great choice if you want to save time and still have fun.

Hongcheon Daemyung Ski Resort is arguably one of the most popular choices for skiing in Korea, as it’s only 1.5 hours from central Seoul. If you join a one-day tour to Hongcheon Daemyung Ski Resort, there’s even a Seoul city pickup. The resort also has multiple beginner slopes, so even beginner skiers can have a blast.

And don’t forget, Hongcheon Daemyung Ski Resort was also the filming location for the popular Korean drama “Legend of the Blue Sea.” If you’re in Korea skiing, how can you miss the chance to visit such a beloved Korean ski destination?

Korean Ski – Experience at Hongcheon Daemyung Ski Resort. (Photo / Tripbaa FunTimes!, Asia’s Free Independent Travel Experts)

High One Ski Resort is divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels according to difficulty, and it even features South Korea’s longest 4.2-kilometer beginner slope, making it easier for beginners to get the hang of skiing. In addition to various ski slopes and sledding areas, High One Ski Resort also has hot springs, hiking trails, and you can enjoy the beautiful views of Jirisan Mountain and the Taebaek Mountain Range from the top of the resort—making it perfect for families to ski and stay for a vacation together.

Korean Ski Experience – High One Ski Resort. (Photo / Tripbaa FunTimes!, Asia’s Free Independent Travel Experts)

After checking out the overview of Korean ski resorts, many of you must be wondering how to ski in Korea. Because you never really understand the difference between skiing on a single or double board, no matter how many times you look, you still don’t get how to do it. Actually, it’s very easy to understand once you look at it from an English perspective—let’s learn about it with the editor right away.

The English abbreviation for a single board is SB, which stands for Snowboard—that is, standing directly on a single snowboard with both feet, without any aids. It feels a bit like surfing on snow and involves using your body balance to glide.

Korean Ski – Snowboarding Experience. (Photo / High One Official Website)

The English word for a double board is SKI, which is short for Skiing—the more common form of skiing. It typically involves two skis and a pair of ski poles, using both hands to grip the poles and coordinating movements with your feet on the skis to move forward. It feels more like inline skating or ice skating, and is suitable for lighter individuals and children.

Korean Ski – Skiing Experience. (Photo / High One Official Website)

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Korean ski equipment can be divided into gear rental and clothing rental. If you rent on your own, the typical rental fees are calculated by time—options include 2–4 hours or full-day rentals. Gear includes skis, poles, snowboards, and boots, while clothing includes ski jackets and snow pants.

Most current Korean one-day ski tours already include round-trip transportation, professional instructors, 1–1.5 hours of beginner lessons, and cable car tickets. As for ski equipment, it can be divided into gear and clothing categories. Usually, it covers the rental of skis, poles, ski suits, and boots. If you want to rent sleds or other snow play equipment, you’ll need to arrange those separately.

In addition to the snow jackets and pants provided at Korean ski resorts, for hygiene and skiing considerations, it is recommended that you wear warm and flexible tops on the upper body, and snug long pants with thick socks on the lower body. Once you arrive at the ski resort, you can simply put on the rented snow jacket and pants.

Also, be sure to prepare three essential items: a hat, waterproof gloves, and goggles. Otherwise, spending a whole day in the vast outdoor ski area will definitely leave you freezing cold. Beyond windproofing and insulation, waterproof gloves can also prevent scrapes from falls against rocks or trees, while goggles offer sun protection and UV shielding, ensuring good visibility in the snowy landscape.

Beginner skiers might think they’re just there to try out skiing in Korea and may not be sure if they need to buy a lift ticket package. In fact, with professional coaching and a few practice runs, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to smoothly ski down the slopes. So, unless you only plan to hang around the beginner areas, play in the snow, and take photos, it’s advisable to purchase a lift pass if you want to enjoy multiple runs—otherwise, carrying your ski board or poles back and forth is more exhausting than skiing itself.

Additionally, some Korean ski resorts offer two ways to get up the mountain: lifts and escalators. If you just want to reduce the burden of carrying your gear uphill, an escalator pass may suffice. But if you’re confident in your skills and want to fully experience the ski slopes, you should opt for a package that includes the lift.

Besides wearing goggles for sun protection and UV shielding as mentioned earlier, it’s also important to note that skiing is a highly physically demanding sport. Be sure to stay hydrated by drinking water regularly—about 200–300 ml every half hour—to avoid discomfort such as dry mouth, dizziness, and other symptoms.

Since skiing is also physically taxing and involves prolonged, intense use of your hands and feet, it’s best scheduled in the middle of your trip abroad. Avoid arranging overly strenuous or long-duration activities for the days before and after. Ideally, you can stay directly at a Korean ski resort after skiing or go for a hot spring soak to relax your muscles, reducing continuous energy expenditure so it doesn’t negatively affect the rest of your itinerary.

[Authorized Repost from Tripbaa] Original article from [Is Skiing in Korea Better Value Than in Japan? 5 Reasons & Q&A for Skiing in Korea on Your Own]

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