Skiing in South Korea: YongPyong Part 1

(Last Updated On: March 28, 2015)

“There’s skiing in South Korea?!” That’s how most people responded when we told them we were going to South Korea on a ski trip.

In mid-February, Frank and I had the opportunity to travel to South Korea for a “family” ski trip with my parents. We were there to check out some of the venues for the next Winter Olympics. One of those venues is YongPyong which is by far the biggest of the South Korean ski areas.

Our first morning at YongPyong we woke up to fresh snow and this view out our window:
View from Greenpia at YongPyong

Admittedly, at first view, it looks very small. But, most of it was actually obscured by clouds. YongPyong actually gains a respectable 2400 vertical feet, roughly, which is comparable to that of Whitefish, MT or Grand Targhee, WY or Northstar, CA or Stowe, VT. To put it in Colorado terms, the vertical is a little under that of Copper Mountain, a little more than A-Basin, and a little more than what you gain by going up the Silver Queen chair in Crested Butte.

Trail Map of YongPyong, South Korea skiing.
YongPyong trail map.

YongPyong states they have 4300 skiable acres, but I never know where they come up with these kinds of numbers. It’s a pretty big ski area, but that number makes it larger than Squaw Valley- and with only 31 ski runs, YongPyong does not feel larger than Squaw.

Nevertheless, YongPyong is certainly big enough to be a hub of the 2018 Winter Olympics, and that’s why we we chose to visit Korea’s biggest ski area.

YongPyong will be a venue for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
YongPyong will be a venue for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

A view of the base as we walked out of our Greenpia Hotel.
Base of YongPyong ski area from Greenpia Hotel.

After getting our season’s passes, we first hopped on the Rainbow Gondola which took us straight to the top at Dragon Peak.
Rainbow Gondola at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

Looking down the Rainbow Gondola at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

The Rainbow Gondola whisks riders 2.3 miles (3.7 km) and over 2000′-vert over a 21-minute span to the base to the top at Dragon Peak.
Rainbow Gondola at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

At the top of the peak, the gondola tower also houses a lodge which was shrouded in clouds.
Lodge at Dragon Peak at YongPyong ski area.

We found some good skiing on the Rainbow Slopes.
Rainbow Slopes at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

It was snowing and we searched for powder on the groomed runs.
Skiing the Rainbow Slopes at YongPyong ski area.
Notice the sign on the fence behind me. Markers like this appeared on every ski slope – a letter code and then a number which represented the slope and how far down the slope you were. Obviously, this system is intended for Ski Patrol.

We also really enjoyed the skiing at the Gold Peak area.
skiing Gold Peak at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

Frank Konsella skiing at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

Frank Konsella skiing at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

Brittany Konsella skiing at YongPyong in South Korea.

Brittany Konsella skiing at YongPyong in South Korea.

There basically was no “off-piste” skiing… Aside from the fences that ran alongside nearly every run, there was also the problem that off-piste skiers would have to tackle the jungle.
trees at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

Trees were everywhere, and far too thick to ski through.
Trees at Yong Pyong ski area in South Korea.

But, they were amazingly beautiful too.
trees with snow at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

trees with snow at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

Over the first few days, we had a lot of snow, and the scenery was absolutely beautiful with the freshly fallen snow. Rainbow chair:
Going up the Rainbow Chair at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

Looking down the Rainbow Chair at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

Trees with snow at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

trees with snow at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

The Lodge at Dragon Peak from the Rainbow chair.
Lodge at Dragon Peak at YongPyong ski resort in South Korea.

Lower down, the mountain certainly had less snow. With only 250 cm (100 inches) of average snowfall annually, this is typical.
lift at YongPyong
With that stat in mind, I can also say that it snowed 5 out of the 6 days we skied at YongPyong. It snowed a lot, but it was also pretty warm, so it didn’t accumulate like snow would have in colder temperatures.

As you can probably tell, all the runs were groomed, except for the two bump runs, which were perfectly manicured like a bump course. It must have been the man-made snow that made the runs so dangerous πŸ˜‰
Frank and Brittany Konsella encountering Danger while skiing at YongPyong in South Korea.

People kept asking me what it was like skiing there at YongPyong. The best I could describe was that it was like skiing at Stowe if it was in the Pacific Northwest, but with less snow – and of course with an Asian flare.
Frank Konsella skiing at YongPyong in South Korea.

Here’s a few snippets of video from YongPyong that help capture the feel of skiing at YongPyong.

Yongpyong Resort is situated at the center of Korea’s Baekdudaegan Mountains. When the clouds began to lift, the range was revealed.
Views from YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

At the end of the ski day, the South Koreans have a unique ritual. I’ve skied all over the world and I’ve never seen these before – blowers for your skis.
Blowers at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

A pressurized air gun is used to remove snow from every nook and cranny on the ski and binding – and if you’re really into it, you’ll put it on your ski boot too πŸ™‚
Ski blowers at YongPyong ski area in South Korea.

This is just Part One of a series of posts we will be publishing about our South Korea experiences. Check below for more!


Skiing in South Korea Series

If you liked this post, please take a look at the other posts in this series:
YongPyong Part 1
2018 Winter Olympics Preview
A Cultural Look at YongPyong Amenities
Korean Food
Night Skiing and a Night on the Town
Enjoying Sunny Days at YongPyong

Brittany Walker Konsella

Aside from skiing, biking, and all outdoorsy things,Brittany Walker Konsella also loves smiles and chocolate πŸ™‚ Even though she excels at higher level math and chemistry, she still confuses left from right. Find out more about Brittany!

Brittany Walker Konsella

Aside from skiing, biking, and all outdoorsy things, Brittany Walker Konsella also loves smiles and chocolate :) Even though she excels at higher level math and chemistry, she still confuses left from right. Find out more about Brittany!

Got something to say? We love your comments!