Scaling Icy Cliffs Is Thrilling

`A spider-man on slippery icy cliffs.` The face of an ice spider-man is covered with sweat as he makes each step on icy cliffs using an ice axe and Eisen.

It is a season of cliff scaling. A series of climbing-up contests are set for Jan. 19 through 25 from Gangchon through Mt. Seolak. A four days-long contest is set to begin on February 7 in Inje, Gangwon-do.

France is a country known for scaling icy cliffs. In Asia, Korea has become a country for icy cliff scaling, harboring small and big cliffs that fit well for scaling. It is also called scaling icy falls since there are a lot of falls to climb up.

Thanks to these surroundings, this country is boasting world-class climbers like Park Young-seok and Eom Hong-gil.

The essence of icy cliff scaling is thrilling feelings you experience with the extreme gap in temperature – your body becomes increasingly hot as you scale icy cliffs. It is like a drama and sweat is just a byproduct of your great experience.

˝I feel thrilled whenever I put an axe into the icy surface,˝ said Hong Seok-bae, a 38-year-old dentist. ˝Even when the weather is not cold enough, I visit some places to see when I can climb up.˝

There are a number of safety precautions you have to follow, however. It may look like a large chunk of ice, but looking closely you can find a number of ice columns combined together like stalactite.

In some cases, some of them have water, instead of ice, inside them, unable to bear your weight. A climber fell down to death with some 50 tonnes of ice in Gugok Icy Fall in Chunchen last year.

The best season for scaling is January through February and there are about 50 places to enjoy scaling. Towangseong Icy Fall is divided into an upper and a lower part, boating its height of 360m, which is the highest in Asia. Even the world`s best French climbers say it is worth challenging.

For beginners, there are such courses as Hoiryong Fall in Mt. Dobong, Gold and Sliver Below Fall in Mt. Surak and Rainbow Fall in Mt. Woonak. For those in the intermediate level, there are Gugok Fall in Gangchon, Gyeonsusa Fall in Mt. Bulam, Eungdang Fall in Mt. Seolak, Gucheon Fall in Mt. Bukhan and Eungye Fall in Mt. Gamak.

Veterans often visit Mt. Seolak to climb up Towangseong Fall, Daeseung, Soseung and Sotowang falls. Mae Rock in Inje, Gangwon-do and an artificial icy fall built in Hang-ri, Budong-myeon, Cheongsong-gun in Gyeongbuk-do are also worth visiting.

It is better to take a course in school before scaling icy cliffs. You can enroll in Kim Yong-gi School (02-703-6969, Kolon Scaling School (02-753-8005), Jung Seung-gwon School (02-990-5014) or Korea Scaling School (02-2203-3471).

Chang Jeon jeon@donga.com