YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL where you are in Jeju from where the mountain is. And you always know where it is, and you always know which mountain. Though Korea’s largest island is home to many peaks, only one might be called “the” mountain — Hallasan, the tallest in South Korea. It is the centerpiece of Jeju Island, visible from almost anywhere, looming in the distance, visible even through the haze. The climb itself is shockingly brisk because of the former volcano’s gradual slope; we made it up and back in a startling 7.5 hours.

It deserves a larger post, but my iPad is still in the trial stages and I don’t want to ask too much of it. Suffice it to say we earned our showers at the end of the day.