Yongpyong ski holidays
Established in 1975 the South Korean ski resort Yongpyong lies at 1150 metres altitude in the Seoul region of the South Korean Taebaek. With the highest lifts and ski slopes at 1858m the area is not snow sure. Over ? snow cannons ensure artificial snow making covers ?km of trails, which equates to around 50 of the slopes. The nearest airport transfer to Yongpyong is Seoul - Incheon at a distance of 215km or approximately 180 minutes driving time. Their season runs from December to April.
SNO-man says
The largest resort in Korea, located at the foot of the Palwangsan Mountain. An annual snow festival is staged here and there are numerous alternative activities. Dragon Valley is close to the National Parks at Mount Obaesan and Mount Soraksan, as well as Kyomgp'odae Beach. The '98 Ski World Cup and '99 Winter Asian Games were staged here.
Alpine Downhill Runs
Beginner Trails
 0 runs ?km |
0% |
Intermediate Trails
 17 runs ?km |
54% |
Advanced Trails
 11 runs ?km |
35% |
Expert Trails
 13 runs 13km |
41% |
Resort and Holiday Stats
| Beginners |  |
| Intermediate | |
| Advanced/Expert | |
| Snowboarders | |
| Apres Ski | |
| Family/child Friendly | |
| Snow-Sure | |
| Ambience | |
| Value for money | |
| Lift Pass Prices (adult 6 day) | ? - ? |
Traditional Ski Village / Purpose Built Ski Resort |
| Resort Opens | Dec 2013 |
| Resort Closes | Apr 2014 |
| (snow conditions often influence opening/closing) |
Mountain and Slopes
| Downhill Runs | 24.8km |
| total length of Yongpyong trails |
| Longest Lift-Served Run | 5.7km |
| longest piste or trail reachable by lift |
| Slope Orientation | ? |
| direction Yongpyong area faces |
| Top Altitude | 1858m |
| top station of highest lift |
| Bottom Altitude | 1150m |
| bottom of lowest run |
| Resort Altitude | 1150m |
| centre of Yongpyong ski resort |
| Vertical Drop | 702m |
| total descent from top lift to bottom piste |
| Skiable Vertical | ^v 702m |
| can include extra hike up above top lift |
Skiing in Yongpyong
31 pistes and trails means approximately 24.8km of runs. 17 Yongpyong lifts have capacity to transport 26000 per hour. The longest run in the South Korean ski resort is over 5.7km.
The mountain has 0% beginner runs or nursery slopes, 54% intermediate, 35% advanced slopes and 41% for experts - the most difficult piste is the 1.66km Rainbow I run, with a steepness/slope angle of ?%. You can ski Yongpyong after dark as there is night skiing on ?km of illuminated piste.
Rating for skiing gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
Snowboarding in Yongpyong
Of the 17 ski lifts, 2 are surface lifts or "drag lifts" - this gives an indication of how modern the lift system is and how good Yongpyong is for snowboarding - especially for beginners learning to board. Facilities include 1 terrain parks and 1 half pipe (longest half pipe length is 120 metres), 0 quarter pipe and 0 boardercross courses.
Rating for snowboarding gets ? stars out of 5 overall
Yongpyong Apres Ski
Off-Slope activities include:
17 apres ski bars 17 restaurants 1 bowling 1 night club 1 cinema 1 billiards / pool 1 games room 1 concert 1 indoor swimming 0 outdoor heated pools 2 saunas 2 hot tubs 0 solariums 1 masseurs 0 indoor ice skating 0 outdoor ice skating 1 indoor sports centre 0 indoor tennis 1 squash racquetball 1 sleigh rides 0 ballooning 0 horse riding 0 prepare winter walks 2 climbing 3 golf 0 fishing 1 museum 0 library Plus these additional apres ski facilities Alpine Slide, Beauty Salon, Karaoke, Labyrinth, Mountain Biking, Table Tennis .
Rating for apres ski gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
"Yongpyong" by any other name
The South Korean resort is also known as Balwang and has common misspellings:
The direction which the various Yongpyong slopes face can make or break your ski holiday. To guarantee good snow conditions, choose a resort with piste which face the right way for the time of year you're travelling.
- In the coldest winter months of January and February pick a resort with sunny south facing slopes, so your days on the snow doesn't feel like a polar expedition. Conversely, in the warmest spring skiing months of March and especially April, a resort with cool and shady north facing trails will ensure you're not riding on slush, but benefitting from best late season snow. The best destinations have areas which face in all directions so that you're guaranteed greating conditions whatever the weather. Yongpyong has slopes facing ?.
Rating for snow gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
Yongpyong reviews, 2 star rating and information is collated by SNO man from staff experience and customer feedback.