Daedunsan New Millenium Ridge Nov 15th

shanja · #1 11-15-2008, 06:54 PM

So there we were on a cracker perfect Autumnal day. The crisp morning mists and zephyrs played in the valleys as Amanda and I hiked our way up. Just below the hermitage we encountered some typical Korean hospitality. A hiking club invited us to sample their jok-bal (braised pigs feet) and fried chicken (and whiskey! ). Then greetings and well wishes completed we stopped by the old girls hermitage and chatted on the seasons calm beauty while filling our water bottles - popped in a small donation too at the box (it is her house after all and a kindness to let us draw water there).Up the leaf strewn and camoflaged indistinct trail we slipped and puffed...past a sign saying that climbing is banned(?). Then we were there and up we went. The first pitch we skipped leap-frogging another (and the only other) team. Overcoming quite a bit of perturbations, I saild us off and up towards the sunlight smothered granite above. A cam here, a nicely wedged hex and a bolt or two there. The cruxes though scarey as hell, fell below our feet and we made sweet progress to the top. No camera of course but our minds recorded satisfactorily the colourful scene as it swam into our view, with black jetting crows squarking and darting here and there about the towers and twisted pines. A few mouthfuls of bread and mandarin, some trail-mix and water. A rugged descent and walk off back down to the car. A good day.

jsp1001 · #2 11-16-2008, 05:47 AM

wish I coulda joined you Jake! Love that park and that route.

shanja · #3 11-16-2008, 02:02 PM

It was nice to lead the whole thing clean too, and everything was just perfect. Weather, company, views and the rock. Really reminded me of when we climbed it together before, so even if you weren't there physically, you were in my mind bro!

shanja · #4 11-23-2008, 06:54 PM

I guess you could say I'm kinda like the Britney Spears of KOTR (minus the money, looks, and eye-liner) as Oops! I did it again (I know that is so cheesey that I almost didn't dare share that gem with you...but then again it's me so you can't expect too much in the tact or elagance department).
Yes we did it again. New Milleniium ridge...this time two by two (kinda like Noah and his Ark...except I was climbing with Brandon and I assure you we are not of opposite gender though maybe of different species). Will was sharing a rope with Mae-lin as well, so we were 4 in all...and the only 4 climbers at Daedunsan all day I believe! What's with that? We only froze occaisionally when the wind blew and caught us exposed...but not too oft.
Yep, we did it again and got benighted descending the treacherous walkoff (this is no joke I promise) in the dark. 2 headlamps twixt 4 climbers on grade 4 scrabbles and steep leaf strewn "trails" that caused many a bottom to come into violent contact with mother earth.
But getting home a few hours past dark, Chef Brandon of Osan whipped up a feast of his own devising. Chicago-style pizza a la Brandon...including a wicked as homemade dough and a hidden vegetarian half (sorry to Will who had to chance the odd bit of pepperoni). Bellissimo! Great feed! Beers followed beers and even though I'd somehow broken the screen on our digital camera...all was well.
All hopes of getting an early start and hitting up Maisan or O2 or even Daejeon wall were abandoned as 1st risings occured only about 10am. Coffee and banana shakes gave way to an impromptu "knots class" in the living room where the heated floor glued us. Alpine butterfly, Munter Hitch, Clove Hitch, Bachman Prussik, Prussik, Autoblock and double figure 8 on a bight all shown and practiced.
Chinese take away and bad ghost story TV (and then he was struck by lightening!) filled in the rest of the day. Ahhhh.

jsp1001 · #5 11-23-2008, 07:19 PM

hmm, and i've just spend about 30 hours during the last week writing a paper on how "inadvertent disclosure of a privileged document can result in forfeit of privilege." Damn, life is not fairrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!
How's New Millenium in January, like . . . the first week of the year?

skinsk · #6 11-23-2008, 09:06 PM

hey Joe!! nice to see you here. . . KOTR is an excellent procrastination tool! Didn't you choose to forfeit your privilege of climbing ridges?!. . . guess you don't have time to write 250-500 words about Korean ridge climbing and how transformative it can be!? Peace and Love from Slovakia (the other SK!)