Seoraksan

Essay Writing Competition 2026
Category: 8 - 11 years
- Commendation -

Junior category: Commendation

"Seoraksan" - Essay by Aaron Lee from the USA

Seoraksan:
The Day I Stopped Counting Steps

Somewhere along the trail the burning sensation in my legs disappeared. My nostrils flared as I took a deep breath of cool air, lightly scented with pine. I stopped counting steps, stopped glancing at the distance. I stood where I was and watched the sunlight glistening through the leaves. The 소나무 (which means pine tree in English) glowed in the rays as amber tears of sap dripped down its scales.

When I first started climbing Seoraksan right after getting out of a medical boot for my broken foot, my goal was to climb as high as I could. That morning I bought new shoes on the fly. After almost 3 weeks in the boot, my legs had almost forgotten how to carry me. Here I was, climbing in stiff shoes. Then I remembered that I had to meet up with my brother and cousin.

My dad and I shuddered as we carefully made our way beside the steep drop of the cliffside path. My bare, skinny legs shook in fear as I took each step. As we headed toward the second base camp, everyone we passed was coming down. Only down. Some had discouraged faces, hinting that they had failed to reach the summit, but others were grinning, not hiding the pride of reaching the top. Every proud face made me wonder if my brother had the same face.

My dad had to stop and take a break beside a gigantic boulder. I, a restless little boy, started to climb boulders in the stream that flowed. The stream flowed restlessly just like me. Every clang of footsteps on the metal bridge beside our resting place gave me hope for my brother. But everyone who passed was a stranger, so my hope faded.

At that moment the shadowy outline of two tall boys appeared at the top of the stairs. It was my brother and cousin! They were drenched in sweat, and they had only droplets of water left. I imagined that maybe it could have been me if only my foot hadn't been broken. They had triumphant looks on their faces just like I had imagined. With two new people my strength surged. My dad's strength surged too. So we headed back. As we made our way back down, my brother told me about his trip. I was slightly jealous because it sounded cool, but I didn’t mind because I had a good excuse: a broken foot.

Before I started climbing Seoraksan, I had never climbed a mountain. During the climb I stopped counting steps. Now I have something new to count: the hopeful days until I climb Jirisan

Congratulations on your insightful essay, Aaron! Your travel memories really captivated us! We are sure that this mountain and the experience of climbing it will stay in your heart forever! Thank you for sharing your lovely essay with us! Well done!

Aaron, who is 11 years old, attends Esther Garrison School for the Arts in the USA. English and Korean as home languages