shanja
01-10-2009, 02:29 PM
On a flying visit back to Korea and KOTR Joe Park (박승천) and Heidi (from Seoul/ 서울) popped on down to the coolest ice-park in the RO of K. Yep, after a night crashed at the "J-dong climbers shelter" (thanks kyungah/경아!) with Yonju also in attendance (alas she had to work next morn!) we all got fully fed and prepped. The quick drive out on Fri morn was good and once there, we were greeted with crowds of maybe a dozen local villagers sipping suju, and hanging by their camp fires in front of the rows of shelter tents and buildings. Super climber Han sang-hoon/ 한상훈, who is in the latest issue of Saram gwa San (사람과산) magazine for sending a 5.13d at Seoksal bawi recently (and lets remember he is 54yo!) greeted us too. He is the man who imagined, built and developed the whole ice park there, and he's a super cool and modest guy. After a catch up chat (he also knows Heidi, of course!) we signed in to climb. Like before you do this as an insurance waiver thing and a rego thing. It's still free to climb there (unbelievable), but you have to give some details. Name, address, climbing club, cell/phone number and date. You then check (or are told to check) boxes indicating which of the 4 ice wall areas you will be climbing on. Sometimes it's your choice, sometimes it's managements choice - they have to take care of the cliffs and the ice quality and safety. The 4 walls are called Sa-Gwa Bong (사과봉), Bae Bong (배봉), Po-do Bong (포도봉), and Got-gam Bong (곷감봉). The Korean literate will know these fruity names as Apple, Pear, Grape and Persimmon Walls...I guess because the area around is known for that produce. Anyway there are signs indicating which is which as well as a competition tower that will be in action this coming weekend for a major ice-climbing comp! The access to the bridge across the river is through the sign in room, very similar to Panmunjeom (판문점) up on the DMZ! Apple Wall is the easiest I guess, and on the far left as you face the ice from the carpark side. Anchors are in place atop the walls, usually in the form or solid steel rings hung way down from triple bolts/ trees on white static nylon ropes. A single 60m rope is not long enough to TR any but the right-most parts of Apple Wall, so you'll need two ropes ties together and the wherewithall to pass a knot when belaying (easy with 2 belayers and a jumar clamp)...otherwise a 80m plus rope would be needed. On weekdays when the crowds are light (only a dozen climbers there all day!) there are no set ropes. The "hike" up to the anchor area is perilous and needs crampons and a jumar daisied to your harness is a very good idea. The track up is narrow, steep, very icy and rigged with an old 10mm hand-line (which at the least you should clip into with a sling and biner - better yet that jumar!).
Anyways we had a great day climbing, and for Joe it was his 1st ever venture onto the ice and he diid amazingly well! Thanks to eveyone who was involved - Kyung Ah, Yoonju, Heidi, Joe, Han Sang-hoon etc etc.
Anyways we had a great day climbing, and for Joe it was his 1st ever venture onto the ice and he diid amazingly well! Thanks to eveyone who was involved - Kyung Ah, Yoonju, Heidi, Joe, Han Sang-hoon etc etc.