Masik Ryong (Masik Pass)
North Korea's showpiece state ski resort
Masik Pass (Masikryong) is North Korea's flagship ski resort, a state showpiece opened in 2013 in the mountains inland from the east-coast city of Wonsan.
- 652 m Base
- 1,358 m Top lift
- 706 m Vertical
- 9 Pistes mapped
- 8 Lifts
Best known for
Après & vibe
Life centres entirely on the single large Masikryong Hotel, with its restaurants and facilities; there is no independent village or nightlife.
The resort
Masik Pass, or Masikryong, is North Korea's premier ski development, a prestige project built rapidly under Kim Jong-un and opened in late 2013 as a symbol of national modernity. Set in the Masikryong pass in the mountains behind Wonsan, it pairs a spread of wide, well-graded pistes on Taehwa Peak with a large, austere on-mountain hotel. In practice this is a resort defined far more by its geopolitical context than its skiing: visits are possible only as part of tightly organised, government-supervised group tours, and the slopes are usually near-empty. For the traveller who does reach it, the appeal is the surreal experience and the mountain scenery rather than terrain challenge or resort buzz.
Snow & weather
Live conditions from the mountain, plus the average snow you can expect month by month.
- Feels like
- —
- Conditions
- —
- Wind
- —
- Fresh snow (3-day)
- —
Live data © Open-Meteo.com
Cold continental winters and extensive snowmaking keep the pistes covered through the depths of the season, though natural snowfall in the region is not heavy.
Average monthly snowfall
Snowfall climatology unavailable.
Terrain & aspect
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Flat / ungraded
Slopes mostly face NE — 90% on snow-holding, poleward-facing slopes.
Aspect derived from run bearings · OpenSkiStats / © OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Skiing & terrain
Broad, gentle lower runs make it comfortable for novices.
Long, wide graded pistes down Taehwa Peak form the core of the skiing.
A few steeper stretches provide modest challenge.
Genuine expert and off-piste terrain is minimal, and independent exploration is not permitted.
The Masikryong Hotel
The monumental state-built hotel at the base is the hub of any stay, a spectacle in itself.
Skiing a nation's showpiece
Riding empty, immaculately groomed pistes at North Korea's flagship resort is an experience with few parallels anywhere.
On the map
Legend
Run difficulty
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced / Expert
- Freeride / Extreme
- Unknown
Run types
- Downhill — groomed
- Downhill — ungroomed
- Downhill — gladed
- Nordic (groomed)
- Ski tour
- ☾Lit (night)
- △Not patrolled
- →One-way
- ❄Snowmaking
Lifts
- Operating
- Operating (private)
- Non-operating
- Lift station
Slope-gradient grading
Downhill / ski tour
- Flat<3°
- Easy3–14°
- Intermediate14–22°
- Advanced / Expert22–45°
- Freeride / Extreme>45°
Nordic
- Easy<6°
- Intermediate6–9°
- Advanced>9°
Aspect (sun exposure)
- N — least sun
- E — morning
- S — most sun
- W — afternoon
Legend after OpenSkiMap
Stay in Masik Ryong (Masik Pass)
Accommodation is at the resort's own large hotel; there is no alternative base village.
Lifts and pistes from the door — the point of a high, purpose-built resort.
Self-catering residences, the bulk of the beds and the flexible-budget option.
Catered and self-catered chalets for groups wanting the whole place.
From simple to high-end, with pools and spas to thaw out in.
How to get there
Access is only via organised tours entering North Korea, typically routed through the capital Pyongyang and then overland; the region's Kalma/Wonsan airport has served some itineraries. No South-Korean airport connects to it, as the two Koreas have no open border.
A supervised road transfer through the mountains from Wonsan or Pyongyang as part of a guided programme.
Best time: Deep winter, roughly December to February, offers the coldest and most reliable snow.
Nearby resorts
Other resorts within reach.
비발디파크, Vivaldi Park Skiworld
- Vertical
- 293 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 8
- Lifts
- 9
곤지암스키장, Konjiam Resort
- Vertical
- 319 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 5
- Lifts
- 5
Faces north © Albert Lee1 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) Alpensia
- Vertical
- 191 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 6
- Lifts
- 2
Faces north © Kalatpadai / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) 용평리조트, Yongpyong Resort
- Vertical
- 664 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 23
- Lifts
- 10
Getting to Masik Ryong (Masik Pass)
Book an airport transfer up to the resort, or pick up a car at Yangyang (YNY) — search and compare without leaving the page.
Ski data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via OpenSkiMap & Skimap.org. Basemap © OpenFreeMap / OpenMapTiles. Editorial: mynext.holiday. Accommodation via Stay22; transfers via Kiwitaxi; car hire via Travelpayouts.