Rock Climbing in Korea

Rock Climbing in Korea

If you are a fan of bouldering rock climbing, you are in luck. Seoul has many different places that you can visit. However, all of them vary in size, amenities, and route difficulty, so I recommend visiting each place and choosing whichever you like first. I do not think they vary in price that much, so I would go with whatever you think gets you the most value. In the end, they’re all pretty expensive anyways :’|, so try your best to enjoy it as much as possible with each visit.

I’m studying abroad at Yonsei University, so it means I’m close to the gyms in Hongdae. From the SK Global House dormitory, where I’m at, it usually takes around 15 to 20 minutes to get to the bus route and arrive in Hongdae. The biggest climbing gym company, from what I know, is called ‘The Climb.’ They have many branches all over Seoul, and if you get bored of one place, you could visit any branch with one membership. Compared to the gyms I visit when I’m home, I think the difficulty grading is a lot smoother and eases you through each difficulty. The Climb has rental shoes, but I am very unsure whether or not they clean them because there’s no “used shoe” box pile like most gyms have, and they have chalk bags. This particular gym has a larger locker room that you can store things in for free, and they have a shower room with toiletries; You just need your own towel. There’s also a water fountain and a station where you can charge your phone (a very nice convenience Korea has everywhere).​

The gym etiquette is pretty similar to America, just in Korean. However, I highly recommend visiting any climbing gym before 3pm because that’s when a lot of people get off work? There’s always a huge surge in the afternoon to evening, and it does not ease up until near closing. Korean climbers are very aggressive with getting onto the wall, and it is difficult getting a “turn” sometimes because the majority of them are impatient with getting a climb caught on their phone-tripod setup. Koreans also do not take breaks. Many of them will attempt a climb, let another person try, and then immediately go back onto the wall. They are just built differently I guess. They also usually always come in groups or on a date, so they accidentally end up “reserving” part of the wall since they take turns climbing. The point is to climb when no one is there.

The normal ‘climbing’ day for me would be to catch the bus, climb for a couple of hours, and depending on the time, eat some dinner at the various Hongdae food stalls. The Climb in Hongdae is a great location, and I recommend everyone to check it out and the surrounding area. 

Monthly pass: ~ $100 USD ☠️

Day pass + Shoe & Chalk Rental: ~ $22 USD

Address

3rd Floor 186, Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Opening hours

Monday ~ Friday

10:00~23:00

Saturday, Holiday

10:00~22:00

Sunday

10:00~20:00