On Saturday morning, the Seoul subway is full of color. It's packed with people in red and yellow hiking clothes, backpacks on their shoulders. Often, where they're headed is just the little hill behind their neighborhood. ## Same Mountain, Different Outfits Anna, an international student, went to Bukhansan wearing jeans and sneakers. She thought it was just going to be a walk. But I was surprised because everyone was wearing hiking boots and carrying trekking poles. On the same day, Minsu, an office worker, also climbed that trail. To Minsu, hiking clothes are simply what you wear to go to the mountains. The rocky trail is slippery, and the wind is cold at the top of the mountain. Neither of them was wrong. They just thought about the same mountain differently, as a "stroll" and as a "hike." ## A Culture Born from Having Mountains Nearby Korea has mountains all over its land, and even Seoul has mountains within the city. If you take the subway, you can start climbing right away. So hiking has become the go-to leisure activity for adults, and the gear has gotten better and better. Sharing gimbap and drinking makgeolli at the summit is also a joy that comes after a hard climb. ## Try It This Weekend Non-slip shoes, water, and a thin jacket are all you need. The sun sets early in autumn, so come down early in the afternoon. I heard Anna bought hiking boots next week, too.