A few days ago I hiked Ulsanbawi in Seoraksan, Korea. Took me like three hours to get up there, like a sauna over 30 degrees who knows what humidity, absolutely drenched in sweat, legs screaming despite the Koreans cruising up , but I finally made it. Reached the top, tried to take a photo… barely got one before my stomach completely betrayed me.
I completely pooped myself. Like, totally filled my pants and it ran down my legs. I’d taken some diarrhea tablets a few days before, so I guess they wore off at the worst possible time.
There were these kind ajummas and ajussis around, trying to help giving me tissues, patting me on the back, even leading me to a little stream so I could wash myself. I was already drenched from sweat, now I’m crouched in freezing water trying to clean myself in front of strangers.
The trip down took maybe an hour cos of the embarrassment and stress. Somehow I got a taxi back to my hotel. Still drenched. Still smelling like death. Still can’t stop thinking about it. One of the worst experiences of my life.
Just needed to get this off my chest.
TL;DR: Hiked three hours in brutal heat, pooped myself at the summit, had to be rescued by kind strangers.
Comments
Sounds like a shitty experience.
Big props to the taxi person willing to let you ride in the car bringing you back.
Never go up shit’s peak with an extra pair o’ undies.
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
It’s comforting to know that even when you’re experiencing one of the worst moments of your life, there might be kind people there to help you out as best they can. Like Mister Rogers said, look for the helpers.
Tinola89. Is your username based on a delicious Filipino soup of chicken, ginger, and fish sauce?
It was on your chest? Eewww. But seriously that sounds awful. Shit happens.
Kudos to you for summiting a mountain! In the heat and humidity! Your body was probably like “WTF is happening”.
At Mt Fuji they give you poop bags, which I think I might utilise in all hiking situations because my guts are not to be trusted
We’re only human. Shit happens.
The taxi people are so nice! We once hiked down the wrong side of the mountain from where our friends were parked, and taxi just stopped to ask if we needed help (with gestures, since he didn’t speak English, and none of us spoke Korean). And he wouldn’t even take the money we offered after he drove us to our friends.
Ooof mate. That sucks, but we’ve all be struck by sudden sickness so everyone can empathise. How nice were the people around you though?!?! I genuinely think this is how most people would respond so you weren’t ‘lucky’ to encounter it.
I
Aww daehanminguk! Thank goodness for sweet ajumas 😍
We’ve all been there, one way or the other. It will pass, even in your memory, eventually.
Is this a shit post?
You and this dude could start a club.
At 55 years old I threw up on a sand dune in the Sahara after trying to CLIMB SAND to keep up with my 23 year old nephew so we could watch the sunset from the top.
Its scalded into my brain.
But also a memory I cherish.
I did it, b!tches.
I’ve done that very same hike myself. It’s beautiful. Actually had diarrhea on a mountain in Gyeonggi-do.
I wonder if rule 4a still applies at the top of a mountain?
The Armchair Expert podcast just did a couple of episodes on unauthorised evacuations. Look it up – other people’s stories will make you feel better knowing you’re not alone.
I was going camping with a new boyfriend. We’d been together maybe a month and a half. I had to get dental surgery a couple days before, and I got pain meds and antibiotics. I took the pain meds for a day, but kept on the antibiotics, but I hated it because antibiotics usually are a nightmare for my stomach and intestines- it makes me have the worst diarrhea and it’s usually without much warning
We go, get set up, and decide to go tents a canoe and tool around the lake, swimming and exploring the island in the middle of the lake.
We were halfway between the beach and the island when it hits me. Something rumbled and I had to go. Our position was about 15/ 20 minutes away from land. I was sweating and freaking out that I’d poop myself in front of my new bf who was awesome and way hotter than should’ve been dating me. It was hot out and I felt like I was gonna explode.
So, I decided to be “spontaneous” and jump in the lake to go for a swim. I paddled a ways away and pulled down my shorts and brown river’d right into the lake. I had to swim while doing it so it didn’t like cling to me. I immediately felt better and an unbelievable awkward sensation had been averted.
Oof, if I was there, I would have handed you my entire roll of toilet paper. Korea’s got me conditioned to carry rolls of toilet paper and paper soap everywhere lol it would have been perfect.
Hiked Seoraksan. Dying in the heat. Saw a water tap with a sign I couldn’t read. Saw a Korean man fill a water bottle from it. Thank God! Filled mine and chugged it down… Then saw the Korean man’s wife hit him in the head with her hat til he dumped the water out. Uhoh…
It was water for cooking. Turns out sign said boil before consuming. I was so fucking sick the next day. Got a bus to Seoul and promptly spent three days in a tiny hotel room shitting myself inside out. I feel ya @OP
It’s a very human thing, it’s not like you were intentionally causing damage or disrespect.
It’s good to know there were kind people around to help you.
Again, all humans poop. I’m sure that mountai has had millenia of humans pooping on it. If you need any further consolation you probably won’t see any of those people ever again, either.