Take a Hike! (2026)

A lot of hiking, Some major whining, and a whole lot of entertainment

Just finished Take A Hike. I don't really have anything new to add. The most difficult hikes were the start and the end. The reality show framed the reason for this production was to answer the question why do people hike. There were some funny responses, but overall they agreed there was an element of challenging oneself.

What I liked the most:
1. The four celebrities they got were a good mix. I think they should add a woman to the mix as well. There certainly were a lot of women hiking these same mountains, and I think it would add an extra push to the group.
2. For the most part, the four celebrities were pretty real and genuine. If they were tired, you saw it, if they were mad, you heard the swearing. Shows can make celebrities look perfect, but this show definitely allowed them to show their human side. Because of that, it was much funnier than I thought it would be.

At the end they talked about what the next show would be. I enjoyed this enough, I would definitely watch another one.
Congrats to the all the production crew. Hiking up a mountain while also filming could not have been easy, but they did it perfectly.

After watching 8 episodes:
Overall, this was good. The star is Korea's beautiful mountainous regions. Each area they hiked has its own personality and flavor, so it keeps things interesting. There were definitely reasons these specific celebrities were selected.

Car the Garden - has to be one of South Korea's most loved celebrities; he had fans where ever they went; continually brought the funny to the series and is great to watch. A bit whiny, but it was also funny and entertaining.

Dowoon - another one of Korea's most popular celebrities as a member of the most popular rock/pop bands in the country; he represented the introvert contingency of the group as he was often quiet, but could explode with something funny that sent everyone into laughter; his expressions are priceless, never hiding anything and wears his heart on his sleeve. One of the best hikers in the group.

Lee Chae Min - definitely one of the hottest actors right now, and probably in great demand, it was nice they got him on board. I think he was especially useful in bringing the female viewship to the show. I would say he was the best hiker as he has athleticism and stamina for days and days. A power house on the trails.

Tarzzan - I was not familiar with him, probably because of his young age, but he brought a lot of entertainment to the show and was also very good at hiking.

All in all, I have enjoyed this more than I thought. One of the best scenes was the game when they were betting and kept losing. The producer just kept changing the rules. It was hilarious!! Chae Min gets caught cheating and then lies, and the producer makes him feel so guilty--like he was 5 years old and gets caught stealing candy. It was funny though.

Read More

A Strong Case Against Hiking

So many variety shows feel like everyone arrived with a group assignment and a pre-decided personality. This one feels refreshingly unplanned. It’s basically four men subjecting themselves to freezing temperatures, physical suffering, and repeated disappointment, then reacting exactly how normal people would: by complaining the entire time.

That’s what makes it so good. The chemistry feels completely unmanufactured. Nothing is polished, nothing is overly performative. It’s just raw, unfiltered bro energy and the ongoing question of why hiking exists at all, especially in sub-zero conditions. Honestly, where else are you going to find four guys stuck in a variety show that is genuinely bad at being a variety show? The games barely register. But the four of them are such peas in a pod that I stopped caring about the format entirely.

Car, the Garden, is particularly entertaining because he has the aura of a leader and the actual leadership style of someone being mildly inconvenienced against his will. He whines constantly, contributes to the collective misery, and yet still somehow gives off a real sense of responsibility. Which is also the general vibe of the group: deeply reluctant, visibly exhausted, but quietly very caring.

The one who snores choosing the living room. The fittest one slowing down so nobody gets left behind or outshined. The one willing to drive all those miles in his own car so everyone could travel more comfortably. The youngest inviting the others over for a home-cooked meal. None of it feels staged in that “look how wholesome we are” way. It just feels natural. I also still cannot believe Dowoon screamed “Christian Bale” as his answer for a luxury fashion brand. No notes. Perfect contestant. Terrible at trivia.

What I liked most is that this never tries to sell hiking as some life-changing spiritual experience. If anything, it presents it as cold, tiring, and frequently unnecessary. But watching four reluctant men persist through it with this much sincerity, mutual care, and complete confusion is weirdly charming. I still have no interest in hiking, but I would absolutely pick these four as travel buddies.

Read More