Where's good in late March / early April?

[dgbryan]

The title says it all ...

Haven't climbed in Korea in a couple of years and was considering a trip at Easter - hoped one of you local residents could offer some insight.

What would Soraksan / Sokcho be like at that time of year?
What about Cheju-do?
Are there guidebooks available to either, and where would I get them?
Any other suggestions for good, moderate (US 5.6 to 5.10) multi-pitch? (I have been to Insubong / Suninbong - and I'd happily go back!)

Thank you in advance for any ideas / info you can provide!

Damian
Hong Kong

[skinsk]

Hmm. . . that's just between winter and spring and could be freezing or rather nice or even rainy. Generally speaking, the S is warmer; Soreoksan can take awhile to thaw, but this year has been very dry. . . of course, there's still time to make that up. You might do one of the "easier" ridges (5.8 ish) in the park, even if it's a bit cold. If the trail is icy you can get some cheap 4 point crampons (fun to bring home!).

Are you coming for some other event, or do you have plans besides climbing? You might make your other plans, then look for climbing possibilities that fit your schedule-- maybe something comitted, something easy to bail, something inside. . . keep up-to-date on the weather and keep checking/posting here for trips and events you can join. Plan B for that time of year is definitely wise, especially if your time is limited (saddly, the weather doesn't vary too much on the penninsula.

There are two companion guidebooks (http://www.koreaontherocks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=523&highlight=slab+link) (N & S) in Korean, but KOTR is probably the best source of information in English.

[dgbryan]

Thanks for that, it gels with my recollections - I recall being at Insubong at Easter a couple of years back (late March I think) and having everythiing from t-shirt and shorts weather to occasional snowstorms.

The plan is basically just a week of climbing & hiking - not sure if we'll take enough time to justify the cost of travelling o/s Asia.

Are there any printed guides to the Sorakson / Sokcho areas that you know of? Even if in Hangul only?

Many thanks!

Damian

[dgbryan]

Apologies - I ave just spotted your link to the guidebooks!
Damian

[skinsk]

The (orange northern) guidebook has pull-out route maps of Ulsanbawi in Seorak as well as Seonin Bong and Insu Bong in Pukhansan. The shelter at Pisandae has the topos I posted for nearby Jeok Byeok, The General and Yuseondae. I keep a file by province whenever I see an interesting area in a magazine or on the web. These days, many climbing gyms have links to webpages with topos and area information, as do many Korean climbers with blogs, etc. One way to find them is to search in Korean. Type the name of the mountain/park/city/province/etc and add various climbing terms: 암장 is commonly used for a crag, 바위, 벽, 해벽, 봉 (rock, cliff, sea cliff, peak) are also commonly found as part of a crag-name. Once you're in Korea, you should look for the new climbing magazine, Magazine Climber. The old Man and Mountain and Mountain are still around, but this new slick glossy is definitely aimed at a younger sport-climbing market. They feature good foreign destinations and articles/photos by/about/of foreign climbers (world class). Sadly, none of the magazines is likely to feature more than one good rock climbing area (and often as not it's an old standard). Really, KOTR is an awesome source of information. A lot of things get buried and the community tends to use it for personal communications these days, but if you search diligently (or just ask) you should be able to get specific details on wherever it may be you want to go!

[dgbryan]

Thank you for yet another speedy response.

I'll do a little more research on KOTR and keep my eyes open for the publications you menttion when we get there. As you say, there does seem to be a ton of information, just not immediately obvious to the non-Korean speaker.

All the best,

Damian