Take a hike: Grab a flask of tea – South Korea is opening hiking trails in the DMZ

Has your hiking holiday in Kazakhstan fallen through? Not to worry. The UN has greenlit the opening of trails along the heavily, heavily fortified border that divides South and North Korea. How heavily fortified, you ask? Well the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the countries was once described as "military border …

[Anonymous Coward]

The rather excellent "World Without Us" by Alan Wiseman includes a chapter about nature tourism to the DMZ - well worth a read.

[Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese]

Last night I found myself watching some of the original "Fred Dibnah, Steeplejack" series from the BBC which someone has put onto The Tube Of You. Having watched him climb up a ladder on the side of a massive chimney, and haul himself onto a rope-and-plank platform lashed to the top, it makes that Mount Hua Shan walkway look rather tame.

Still no way you'd get me on it though.

[Oh Matron!]

Fred Dibnah is one of my heroes. Yes, he pulled down many of the buildings he ended up loving (I'm from Rochdale, and have a fondness for all things Mill).

But, along with him and John Noakes' climbing of Nelson's Column, their lack of a decent H&S regime, to this day, scares me.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi15rnjgfjhAhULa1AKHZjQAygQtwIwAHoECAUQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dp4YFCJETmwI&usg=AOvVaw1YEm6WWNv6zMbwPXl-dmm8

[Paul Herber]

Mines (and yours)

George:

If we should step on a mine sir, what should we do?

Blackadder:

Well the normal procedure is to leap 200 feet into the air and scatter yourself over a large area.

[Mark 85]

Re: Mines (and yours)

Indeed. Some do that. Others just blow your leg off and you fall over. Effective but not as spectacular as flying through the air with all your body parts in loose formation.

[Ken Shabby]

Re: Mines (and yours)

"Unplanned loss of containment" or Rapid Unplanned Disassembly"?

[Anonymous Coward]

Huashan

I actually climbed Huashan back in 97 while pootling around China at the time: and completely failed to even find the plank walkway, since I'd never heard of it. Since there are four "summits" to the mountain, I had figured at the time that climbing three was quite enough, especially since the fourth had a massive queue, presumably where the plank walkway is. I made the initial climb in the evening, which was possibly a good idea since it's fairly hairy climb, although there are a lot of metal chains to hang onto. Be prepared to have a series of locals pass you wearing suits and cocktail skirts :-)

[Rich 11]

Paralysed with fear

where you'll slowly and carefully traverse two 50-rung ladders, and ascend 60 metres

No I won't. It's a helicopter or nothing.

[Chris G]

Re: Paralysed with fear

You can generate the need for a change of trousers much closer to home. I have had a play on the Trainasium at Aldershot, a training course for the Para's I worked on it and was not a Para and thankfully didn't have a staff instructor screaming at me.

I think it has moved to Catterick now.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Paralysed with fear

Are we back to those rubber trousers with bicycle clips already?

:)

[Tikimon]

Best escape room EVAR

The Norks could generate some serious cash if they only had a little creativity. Escape rooms are all the rage these days, and North Korea is the mother of all escape rooms. OWN IT and make it pay! They would need to fence off a special zone behind the border, with non-lethal defenses. Then turn paying tourists loose and let them try to escape back to South Korea. Stepping on a "mine" triggers a siren and flashing light, guards have MILES gear. Being "shot" or "blown up" sends you back to the starting line. Have informants on the course who give misleading info and report the player's location to the guards. Build in some obstacles and challenges and have timed events for the adventure race crowd.

Could raise millions, I tell ya...

[stiine]

Re: Best escape room EVAR

Or they could use the actual guns, mines, cameras and tripwires that are currently in use. Why change?

I think that's the appropriate icon----->

[Mike Shepherd]

Your customers' experience

Maybe we could invite Satya Nadella to try that walkway, so he understands how Windows users feel when their PCs update.

[John H Woods]

I quite like tourist trails...

... but I'm not sure where I stand on landmines

[Kernel]

Re: I quite like tourist trails...

"... but I'm not sure where I stand on landmines"

I believe slightly to one side/not at all is the usual recommendation from the manufacturers -it's in the "Getting Started" section of the handbook, normally found immediately after the page that says "Congratulations on your purchase of the new and improved Acme landmine. For best maiming and killing results please read this handbook completely before attempting to use the product."

[OssianScotland]

Re: I quite like tourist trails...

Ah, the same company who puts "This Side Towards Enemy" on their Claymores ?

[sandman]

Re: I quite like tourist trails...

Health and Safety gone mad I tell you!

[OssianScotland]

Re: I quite like tourist trails...

I think it is for the same reasons that US field manuals are (alleged to be) written as comic books

(icon for obvious reasons)

[phuzz]

Re: I quite like tourist trails...

Nothing alleged about it. There was "The M16A1 Rifle Operation and Preventative Maintenance" (DA Pam 750-30), as written and illustrated by Will Eisner.

[Anomalous Cowshed]

Why does everybody always talk about custard creams and never about bourbon creams, my favourites? Why the discrimination? Nobody has a kind word to say about these deadly but magnificent biscuits?

[Flywheel]

Wrong DMZ !

Who are all these Koreans and what the heck are they doing in my firewall !?