작년에 519부대(등산팀이 처음 시작할 때 1951년~1959년 생이 주축이라서 붙인 이름)를 만난 것은 제게 큰 축복이었습니다. 덕분에 같은 하늘 아래, 같은 지역에, 가까이 있는 세계적인 명산 북한산과 한양도성 길을 걸어볼 수 있는 특권을 누립니다. 519부대는 그 이름보다 그 마음이 더 아름다운 분들입니다. 지난 코로나 팬데믹 시기를 지나면서 국내로 들어온 선교사들의 처지를 안타까이 여기던 분들이, 선교사들을 칩거하는 장소에서 불러내기 위해서 시작된 모임이기 때문입니다. 다른 사람의 처지를 돌아보고, 뭔가 돕고 싶은 마음, 하늘 아버지의 마음을 닮았습니다.
그동안 북한산을 가까이 두고 살면서도 멀리 바라보기만 했고, 한양도성길 걷기, 듣기만 해도 가슴이 설렜는데, 마침내 519부대원의 선한 마음 덕분에, 더 이상 생각만이 아니라, 실제로 발로 밟는 감격을 맛보았으니, 생각할수록 고마운 분들입니다. 그래서 작년 가을에는 북한산 에서 단풍이 아름답다는 부암동암문과 부왕사지의 단풍을 즐기고, 겨울에는, 언젠가 10년도 넘은 옛날에 샀던 아이젠을 찾아서 신고, 눈내린 북한산 여성봉을 올랐으니, 그 벅찬 감격을 기억하면 아직도 마음이 따뜻해 지는 작년 최고의 선물 중에 하나였습니다.
물론 그날 다 좋았던 것만은 아닙니다. 눈덮힌 큰바위를 내려오면 불안해 하는 아내를 향해 손을 내밀었는데, 그녀의 무게가 내게 쏠렸을 때, 나는 뒤로 넘어졌고, 아내는 내 옆으로 날랐고 ㅠㅠ 아내를 돕고자하는 내 마음은 젊은 날처럼 불변하지만, 더 이상 아내를 받아줄 수 있는 체력이 사라진 70대 중반의 할아버지라는 사실을 새롭게 배웠습니다. 아이젠을 신고 눈덮힌 산을 5~6시간 걸었으니 자고 일어나서도 여기저기 쑤시고 아픈 것은 예상한 일이었습니다. 게다가 바로 뒷날은, 방학을 해서 울산으로 운전해서 내려갔는데, 그것도 주로 아내가 했으니 ㅠㅠ. 그나저나 한 주간이 지나가면서 다른 아픈 곳은 회복되었는데, 잠자리에 들 때마다 앞가슴이 아프다고 해서, 촬영을 했더니, 금이 간 것이 아니라 갈비뼈가 부러진 것을 알게 되었습니다.
하여간 나는 20세기 전반부에 태어난 엄청난 복을 받은 남자입니다. 며칠 전, 3월 마지막 토요일 산행을 하면서도 아내의 도움을 받았습니다. 이번 제102회차 트레일은 북한산의 View가 뛰어난 <의상능선 즐기기>라는 공지가 떴습니다. 본래는 3호선 구파발역 1번 출구에서 만나서 704번 버스로 백화사 입구로 이동하기로 되어 있었습니다. 그런데 산길을 걷기가 좀 부담스러워 산행에 빠진 아내의 도움으로, 약속된 구파발 전철역에서 기다리던 두 분을 태우고 백화사입구까지 갔고, 백화사~ 내시묘역길~ 가사당암문~ 용출봉~ 용혈봉~ 증취봉~ 부암동암문~ 부왕사지~ 중성문~ 대서문~ 산성입구까지 8.8km를, 식사와 휴식 포함 5시간이 넘는 산행을 끝내었을 때, 북한산성 입구 주차장에서 우릴 다시 태워주었으니 감사를 표하지 않을 수 없습니다. “회장님 등산에 협력해 주셔서 감사합니다~~ “
Meeting the 519 Troop (a hiking team named because its founding members were primarily born between 1951 and 1959) last year was a tremendous blessing to me. Thanks to them, living under the same sky and in the same region, I have enjoyed the privilege of walking the trails of Bukhansan—a world-class mountain right in our neighborhood—and the Seoul City Wall paths. The members of the 519 Troop have hearts even more beautiful than their name. This gathering originally began out of heartfelt concern for missionaries who had returned to Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to draw them out of their quiet seclusion. A heart that looks after the circumstances of others and yearns to help is truly a reflection of the Heavenly Father's heart.
For so long, though living close to Bukhansan, I only admired it from afar. Walking along the historic Seoul City Wall trail was something that made my heart flutter just hearing about it. Yet thanks to the warm-hearted kindness of the 519 Troop members, it was no longer just an elusive thought, but a deeply moving experience of walking the paths with my own feet; the more I think of them, the more grateful I feel. Thus, last autumn, I was able to savor the glorious autumn foliage around Buamdongammun Secret Gate and the Buwangsa Temple site, renowned as the most splendid spots in Bukhansan. And in the winter, dusting off crampons bought more than ten years ago, I climbed up to the snow-covered Yeoseongbong Peak of Bukhansan. Remembering that overwhelming thrill still warms my heart—it was truly one of the finest gifts of the past year.
Of course, not everything went smoothly that day. Coming down a large, snow-covered boulder, I reached out my hand to my wife, who looked uneasy. But when her weight shifted toward me, I tumbled backward, and she went flying right past me. T_T While my desire to protect and help my wife remains as steadfast as in our youth, I newly realized that I am now a grandfather in his mid-seventies who no longer possesses the physical strength to catch her. Having hiked five to six hours on a snow-covered mountain wearing crampons, waking up the next day with aches and pains all over was only to be expected. To make matters worse, the very next day, as school was on break, we drove down to Ulsan—and my wife ended up doing most of the driving, poor thing. Anyway, as the week passed, my other aches subsided, but because she complained of chest pain whenever she lay down to sleep, we took an X-ray, only to discover that her rib was not merely cracked, but fractured.
Even so, born in the first half of the twentieth century, I am a man who has received immeasurable grace and blessings. Just a few days ago, on the final Saturday of March, I once again received my wife's gracious help for our hike. The announcement for our 102nd trail walk was titled "Enjoying Uisang Ridge," celebrated for having some of Bukhansan's most breathtaking vistas. Originally, we were scheduled to gather at Exit 1 of Gupabal Station on Line 3 and take Bus 704 to the entrance of Baekhwasa Temple. However, finding the trail a bit too strenuous, my wife chose to sit out the hike, but kindly drove me and picked up two other members who were waiting at Gupabal Station, driving us all to the Baekhwasa entrance. From Baekhwasa, through the Eunuch Cemetery Path, Gasadangammun Gate, Yongchulbong, Yonghyeolbong, Jeungchwibong, Buamdongammun Gate, Buwangsa site, Jungseongmun Gate, Daeseomun Gate, and down to the Fortress Entrance—a demanding trek of 8.8 km taking over five hours including meals and breaks—when we finally finished, she was waiting right there at the Bukhansanseong Fortress entrance parking lot to pick us up. How could I not express my deepest gratitude? "Thank you so much, Madam President, for your wonderful support of our hiking excursion!"
Toe ek verlede jaar die 519-eenheid ontmoet het ('n stapgroep wat so genoem is omdat die stigterslede hoofsaaklik tussen 1951 en 1959 gebore is), was dit vir my 'n buitengewone seën. Danksy hulle geniet ek die voorreg om onder dieselfde hemelruim en in dieselfde omgewing die wêreldklas-berg Bukhansan en die historiese Hanyang-stadsmuurpaaie vlakby te verken. Die lede van die 519-eenheid se harte is selfs mooier as hul naam. Hierdie byeenkoms het immers ontstaan uit innige deernis vir sendelinge wat tydens die COVID-19-pandemie na ons land teruggekeer het, met die doel om hulle uit hul afsondering te verwelkom en weer na buite te nooi. 'n Hart wat omsien na ander se omstandighede en graag wil help, weerspieël waarlik die Vader in die hemel se hart.
Al die jare het ek naby Bukhansan gewoon, maar dit slegs van ver af bewonder; die gedagte om langs die Hanyang-stadsmuur te stap, het my hart altyd vinniger laat klop. Danksy die opregte welwillendheid van die 519-lede het dit uiteindelik nie net by 'n wensgedagte gebly nie, maar het ek die vreugde gesmaak om self daardie paadjies te betree—hoe meer ek aan hulle dink, hoe dankbaarder word ek. So kon ek verlede herfs die asemrowende herfskleure by Buamdongammun-geheime poort en die historiese Buwangsa-tempelperseel geniet, bekend as van die mooiste plekke op Bukhansan. En in die winter het ek stygysters aangetrek wat ek meer as tien jaar gelede gekoop het, en die sneeubedekte Yeoseongbong-piek van Bukhansan uitgeklim. Wanneer ek terugdink aan daardie oorweldigende vreugde, word my hart nog steeds warm—dit was waarlik een van die kosbaarste geskenke van die afgelope jaar.
Natuurlik het alles daardie dag nie seepglad verloop nie. Terwyl ons van 'n groot, sneeubedekte rots afgeklim het, het ek my hand uitgesteek na my vrou wat angstig gelyk het. Toe haar gewig egter na my toe oorhel, het ek agteroor geslaan en sy het reg langs my deur die lug getrek! Aggegeet... My begeerte om my vrou by te staan is vandag nog net so onwrikbaar soos in my jeugjare, maar ek moes opnuut besef dat ek 'n oupa in my middel-sewentigs is wat nie meer die krag het om haar gewig te stut nie. Nadat ons vyf tot ses uur lank met stygysters op 'n sneeubedekte berg gestap het, was dit te verwagte dat ek die volgende oggend met pyne en stywe spiere sou opstaan. Boonop moes ons die einste volgende dag, aangesien die vakansie aangebreek het, na Ulsan ry—en dit was hoofsaaklik my arme vrou wat bestuur het. Nietemin, soos die week verloop het, het my ander pyne bedaar, maar omdat sy elke aand wanneer sy gaan slaap het van borspyn gekla het, het ons 'n X-straal laat neem. Tot ons ontsteltenis het ons uitgevind dat haar rib nie net gekraak was nie, maar werklik gebreek het.
Hoe dit ook al sy, as iemand wat in die eerste helfte van die twintigste eeu gebore is, is ek 'n besonder geseënde man. 'n Paar dae gelede, op die laaste Saterdag van Maart, het ek weer my vrou se hulp met ons bergklim geniet. Die kennisgewing vir ons 102de staptog het gelui: "Geniet Uisang-rant," 'n roete wat bekend is vir van die skouspelagtigste uitsigte op Bukhansan. Aanvanklik sou ons by Uitgang 1 van Gupabal-stasie op Lyn 3 bymekaarkom en Bus 704 na die Baekhwasa-ingang neem. Maar aangesien die steil bergpad vir my vrou effens te veel was, het sy besluit om nie self te stap nie, maar aangebied om ons te help: sy het my en twee ander lede wat by Gupabal-stasie gewag het, opgelaai en na Baekhwasa geneem. Vanaf Baekhwasa, oor die Eunug-begraafplaasroete, Gasadangammun-poort, Yongchulbong, Yonghyeolbong, Jeungchwibong, Buamdongammun-poort, Buwangsa-perseel, Jungseongmun, Daeseomun tot by die Vesting-ingang—'n roete van 8,8 km wat ons, etes en rustyd ingesluit, in net meer as vyf uur voltooi het—het sy ons weer by die parkeerterrein van die Bukhansanseong-vesting kom oplaai. Hoe kan ek dan nalaat om my innige dank te betuig? "Baie dankie, Mevrou die Voorsitter, vir u getroue samewerking met ons bergklimtog!"