Imagine a classic sport climbing crag with gorgeous slab, face, and cave routes that has a 15 minute approach. This daydream can be your reality at Ganhyeon! Located a little over an hour from Seoul in the city of Wonju, this spot is known across Korea. With an easy approach and many amenities right at the crag, Ganhyeon is a favorite among many climbers.
There are 36 bolted routes grade from 5.6 to 5.13c. It is a great place for anyone who wants to try climbing outdoors, since there are many easier slab climbs on the left side of the wall. There are routes that have multiple pitches, and some can even be combined into one long pitch with the right length of rope (mostly a 70m). Most of the cave climbs have fixed draws on the wall, and are rated in the 5.12-5.13 grade range. You should note that there are only a handful of routes in the 11s and most of them are linked multi-pitches.
The anchors feature almost exclusively chain links and clips. On a few of the multi-pitch anchors there may be some fixed anchors. Remember to review how to untie and set up a rope through a fixed ring before leading up those. The bolts are well placed and not too run out. This crag is constantly being maintained by Black Diamond, so all the hardware is in good working order.
This crag is located inside a tourist mountain park, across a river and below a skybridge. There is free parking and you will walk along a paved path until you reach the wall. There is a ticket office to purchase tickets for the skybridge walk, but you do not need to pay anything to come climb. Many people end up watching you climb, as it’s located near the end of a hiking loop. At the wall there are platforms to set your gear on, but be warned that many groups come early and claim their spots quickly. There are also public bathrooms right across the bridge, a few convenience stores along the path from the parking lot, and restaurants or street food vendors to buy food from during the day.
This is quite a popular spot for climbing, especially on colder days because this climbing crag is in the sun all day. In the winter, this means you could feel 10º – 20ºC warmer while climbing. However this makes it difficult in the summer months when the weather is already hot and humid. Definitely dress in layers when you climb here, as it could be 5ºC when belaying but feel 15ºC when up on the wall. Since it has such easy access, Ganhyeon can get very busy sometimes. You may end up waiting to climb if you have a project or only want to do certain climbs. However if you are flexible with what you climb, you should always be able to find something to jump on!
Gear to bring: rope (60m is fine unless you want to join pitches together, then bring a 70m), 12 quickdraws (more if linking pitches), harness, shoes, belay device, and helmet.
Location:
Parking Lot: Sogeumsan Grand Valley 1056-24 Ganhyeon-ri, Jijeong-myeon, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do
강원도 원주시 지정면 간현리 1056-24 소금산그랜드밸리