Island

After a long day Saturday of bouldering with the Busan crew, I received a text message via my cellular mobile smartphone from good friend Dong-il asking for volunteers.  After inquiring, it seemed that he and his photographer Jean were headed down to a remote island to take some climbing photographs for their upcoming book; and they needed climbers to photograph!

"I'm in"

Geoje Island is a small (actually a rather large) island southwest of Busan.

We were headed to a tiny Island off of Geoje called So Mae Mul Do (Do, pronounced 'doe' means island in korean... unfortunately I don't have Korean Hangul on this computer) that was rumored to have some great trad climbing.

After driving to Geoje, spending the night, and waking at 6:30 to catch the ferry across, we were welcomed with some very cool geography/geology:

We climbed, and did our best, as Jean snapped away and made us look professional.  After about an hour of shooting, we headed back only to find that the violent wind would not allow the ferry to return to the island for several hours (just last week, Dong Il and Jean got stuck on another Korean island for a disenchanting four days due to high winds).

Heeran stopping to catch her breath, during one of the few non-windy moments during the day.

After all, the trip went well, we made it back to Busan and Dong Il and Jean got their photos they needed.

Spotting Sharma in Seonunsan

Throughout my life I've encountered many moments of extreme joy; those times when all the world seems to pause, and lets you in on it's little secrets. For 48 hours last weekend this was the feeling that subsumed me. I had long considered myself to be the type of person that is not easily impressed by fame; not that I had been in the company of fame all that often, however, I would have liked to think that upon meeting someone I held in high regard, I would not succumb to the same types of feelings and mindless starstruck exuberance that is displayed by preteen girls at a Britney Spears concert (ya know, before she freaked out, gained a lot of weight, and shaved her head). I could not have been more wrong.



Saturday morning I awoke at the crack of... well, actually it was much earlier than dawn. I had awoken at 4:45 in the morning to begin my pilgrimage to meet the Elvis Presley of rock climbing. I took a short taxi down to the subway, and then after an hour long subway ride I met up with two friends that would be accompanying me on my journey (Nikki and Jana: Jana, as it turns out, is from Pittsburgh Kansas, and I wrestled with her cousin... for those of you who are counting, that is three people I've me from the great state of Kansas so far). Quickly we purchased our tickets for the first of three bus rides, climbed aboard and were off. After three and a half hours of beautiful mountain views we arrived at Gwangju, where we frantically got on another bus that took us an hour and a half away to the scenic mountain town of Gochang. Upon our arrival and our immediate attempt to locate the next bus, we promptly realized that none of us spoke Korean with any kind of useful extent. After a failed game of charades with the lady at the ticket window (in the smaller towns they don't have anything in English, and everything looks like this:한글) we fortunately ran into some South Africans (the anglo type) and they were able to help us get tickets to our destination: Seonunsan.



After a thirty minute "death ride" (going down mountain switchbacks in a 55 passenger bus at breakneck speeds...I think the bus driver was practicing for his debut at Indy) we arrived at Seonunsan, and quickly set out to find the other KOTR (Korea on the Rocks: it's a site that links climbing expats in Korea) climbers that we would be spending the weekend with, and not to mention, hopefully catch a glance at Chris Sharma, possibly even meet him.



After a long days hike way off course, we finally back tracked and found Charlie and about ten other new best friends from KOTR. After a few routes up the big wall, we called it a night and headed in. Little to my surprise, I came to find out that the man himself was going to be giving a presentation in a short while in the front hall of the hostel that we AND Sharma were staying in. Naturally I mentally jumped for joy and headed that way. The presentation turned out to be alright, one could easily discern that part of Sharma's sponsorship with Evolve required him to give these presentations. Afterwards my I-don't-really-want-to-admit-that-I'm-starstruckness-but-I-definitely-am set in. Sitting before me signing autographs was the first American climber able to climb 5.14, and he did it all before he could get a drivers license. This man had single handedly brought rockclimbing into the spotlight that it so deserved as being a phenomenal mental and physical activity that could push athletes to their edges time and time again. Despite all of Sharma's success he seemed surprisingly reserved, and even shy at times. At the end of the night, although at first I did not want to, I ended up getting his autograph on one of his posters (I felt like a 9 year old kid again... especially because I now have it hanging over my bed). After an eventful traditional dining experience with the group that lasted until midnight, we hobbled back to our hostel room (made for 6 people. we had 9. it was cramped, but it was at least warm) we fell to our sleeping bags and quickly fell into a deep slumber that for me, and probably many others, was filled with dreams of the following day... climbing with Sharma.



We awoke hazy eyed after a mere five or so hours of sleep at 7 a.m. upon which we gathered our things and headed outside to meet up with the climbers that had camped in tents. Quickly we had breakfast and got in a few rounds of slacklining and hacky sack, packed our gear and began the thirty plus minute hike up to the crag. At the crag we were greeted by the many Koreans that had already beaten us to the punch. We started climbing, and shortly after I led a fairly straight forward 5.10a, we got news that Sharma was climbing on the other side of the crag. I finished my route, came down, and like the many other climbers who resembled children on Christmas morning, dropped everything and head Sharma's way.



It was impressive, he scaled rock with the grace of a mastered technician, moving swiftly from move to move, crimp to crimp, past the crux and even through the dyno with the greatest of ease. He climbed a 5.13b like he was just warming up, all the while, his beautiful girlfriend Daila belaying him. I found myself smiling from ear to ear as I gazed up at this climbing legend.



I took this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i55YZLhPTXU of him climbing. (note, he makes it look easy, and it is most definitely not, it is difficult to get a feel through the video camera just how difficult this actually is).



After a long day of Sharma spotting, climbing, and making many new friends, Nikki, Jana, and I made our way back to the bus station and began our long journey home.



PICTURES HERE http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=2322556&id=16808105

It's a small world after all

Hmmm. where to begin this one. Since my last (and only) post, my days have been split fairly evenly somewhere between the mark of absolutely rotten, and ecstatic joy. The reason for the former was due to the "Korean sickness" as it is so called by the people who laughed at me when I was seeking peer diagnosis for my seemingly benign ailment.

"Everyone gets sick in Korea!" they said,

"Not I" I retorted, knowing full and well that my fruit and vegetable laden diet has kept me from sickness in the past.

"Well, everybody gets sick in Korea, the viruses are different here."

Hmmm, I thought, I hadn't given much consideration to that idea.



As it turned out, the sore throat was only a precursor to the abhorrent feelings that would plague me the following day. My coworkers were right, even my immune function was of no match for this Asian version of the common cold. Although the Koreans have attempted to model parts of their society directly off that of the United States (clothing, social mores, even the dreaded rap music, which they don't understand), fortunately for me, their medical system was not a part of the plan in their scheme to imitate western culture.



When I arrived at the doctors office, and instantly made a fool of myself by removing my shoes, and then after a few minutes and a few odd stares and laughter, being gestured to put them back on (you take off your shoes most everywhere in Korea, except this particular doctors office, perhaps it was part of his greater plan to become more western) I made it back to see the doctor who (I had previously been told by coworkers, spoke excellent English) spoke all of about three words of English. After being probed in the throat for what seemed like an eternity and passing a series of other examinations that included everything but anal probe, I was finally given the correct diagnosis.... "you sick," by doctor Wangzou. After a shot in the rear, and an obscure breathing treatment, I was given the presciption and showed to the pharmacy (next door). The Korean medication, (which honestly I was hesitant to take, as I had no idea what the pills were, that the pharmacist, who spoke two words less of English than doc Wangzou, gave me) turned out to work quite well, and I was better within a few days.



Following this less than desirable situation I was awarded what I had hoped for most upon my arrival to Korea... other climbers. The Saturday following my sickness I was aimlessly wandering around on a side of a mountain looking for rock climbers when after about 3 hours, and the desire to give up, I found my proverbial pot of gold (or as it was, a bunch of sweaty climbers on a big rock... to each his own, I guess). Meeting Jason, Corey and Park Cheoluyeoung was a blessing that I had been longing for; to meet some like minded amigos in the ROK. Following our climb, and promises of much more in the future, I departed and came upon the Yaksu temple (photos below). As it was my first Asian temple that I had seen I was dumbfounded at the intricacies of the needlework and the what must of been countless hours that went into the elaborate decorations inside the temple, which I did not get photos of out of respect to the locals that were praying there.



So here comes the strange part. Yesterday, a massive group (15 in all) met up to do some bouldering in Guseo-dong. Upon our arrival and the ensuing 45 minute hike up the mountain, we began to introduce ourselves. A guy named Charlie asked me where I was from, and upon mentioning that I was from Kansas, he quickly replied "what's with all the Kansan's here?" Instantly my interest was peaked. Although we were all kind of spread out on the trail, I made my best effort to ask who gather everyone's attention and seek out these elusive 'Kansan's." After the tomfoolery that was my attempt to locate the Kansan's I got a reply from a couple named Jeff and Lindsey. Upon introductions we quickly got to the point.



"So, what part of Kansas are you from?" I asked, thinking, that regardless of their answer, I was still super excited to have friends here from my home state.

"Overland Park" they replied, naturally, my excitement was intensified.

"Yeah, we went to the University of Kansas, and Blue Valley High School."



I was astonished, I had met people that attended the same High school as me, half way around the world! In utter disbelief, I responded that I too had attended the great home of the Tigers, and immediately their excitement exploded.



"That is really bizarre." Jeff repeated over and over to himself as the realization sunk in.



By the end of the day we had shared many stories of our high school and college experience and looked forward to much more comradery, as had been gained throughout the day with all the climbers. Among the other highlights of this day were getting to climb with (ok, watch) a professional climber show us his technique, meet a bunch of new friends, and afterwords, share a traditional Indian meal at "Wazwan," my new favorite restaurant in Korea.



Yep, this whole Korea thing is turning out to be pretty cool. Hopefully I can abstain from any injuries and get in many more climbs with all my new buddies.



I took a couple of short videos (quite poor filming) of the professional climber getting the first ascent of this boulder (I forgot his name), and another video of everyone that was there. They can be found here.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6yHNJqUx7k



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whfFhvPwCvM



It should be noted that this line was very difficult, only two people sent it all day. Hard to tell difficulty of a climb in a video, it was said that this was about V5-V6, but it had a real shoddy foot hold, and a nasty little overhang at the beginning.



Oh, I also threw in some photos of some of my youngest students, they are two of my favorite.



Overall, it has been a really positive experience, I am very fortunate that I have met so many like minded people that are super interested in climbing.

PICTURES HERE: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2318919&id=16808105&saved