It's finally here...the 3rd IGK OPEN!

Back by popular demand, the annual IGK Open Golf Tournament has been set for its 3rd year. After much negotiation and deliberation with Cheongwon Golf Club (http://www.cheongwongc.com/), we have tried to make this a bigger and better event. Cheongwon GC is reserving the whole 18hole golf course for us on Saturday, November 19th for a 9am shotgun start. So get your teams of four ready for the tournament.

The tournament will be an adjusted best ball format. This inclusive format allows novices and pro swingers to have the most fun. As usual there will be prizes for the top 3 teams, best team spirit, closest to the pin, and prizes for everyone for just coming out and doing something different and awesome. Don’t worry about not having gear either. Teams can share clubs, and IGK has a bunch of clubs to lend out. The clubhouse will have beers and snacks for sale throughout the tournament.

 To register, send an email to Eddy Park at igk@iguidekorea.com with your name after you deposit your tournament fee of 55,000KRW to the following bank information:

Edward Park
KB Bank/국민은행
Acct #/계좌번호: 270902-04-063729

Save your partying for Saturday night when the bar sponsors will have drink specials for participants. So, mark your calendars and come swing at some balls!

 For directions, information on the adjusted best ball format, and more detailed information, click the link: http://iguidekorea.com/golf.html

See you out there!

 

Campers at the top of Cheon Tae San

IGK started its first children camp this month. This program has been a long time coming.

The idea pretty much started after my first year in Korea. I had seen so many students study so hard with little outlets for physical and mental relief. When summer vacation started, I was even more shocked to see the students go into even higher gear with ‘intensive programs’ at their math or English institutes. My Canadian summer vacations where about being in the outdoors, and some of my best memories came from summer camps.

Camps were fun! Canoes, swimming, photography, campfires, camping, and a host of games made summer camp an agonizing long wait when school started in September. But, it was not only the fun and games that brought me back to camp year after year. I also learned independence and responsibility. My parents were not around, and I still managed to get up early, make food, clean up, and go to bed early enough to do it all again the next day.

Fast food.

I also gained a deep appreciation for nature, and its healing mental calmness. I continue to enjoy quiet morning dew and radiant red skies while camping. They are sights I never get tired of. And, the fresh air, uncontaminated by smog and noise, still lifts my spirits when I’m down. 

Home Sweet Home

Finally, the last intangible and most important lesson I learned was leadership: how to be confident, face challenges, take responsibility, and lead. Being part of a camping team, I had specific jobs to do. Other depended on me to complete that job. And I depended on others. I had to take the initiative, and I had to allow myself to be led. As I grew older, I took these lessons from job interviews to mountain tops.    

There is no doubt that young Korean students are among the brightest in the world. Test results have shown these students to consistently score at the top end globally. But there is a very important life outside the classroom that stretches past the apartment complex, past the bustling city of Seoul and onto other lands far away. IGK’s Wild English Camps is giving the chance for young Korean students to know life in a fuller way.

An end to a great weekend!

The rains have finally gone and the sun has been out without all that sweat inducing humidity…this all means that IGK has started its fall season! And that all means fun for everyone! 

Earlier this year we started our outdoor weekend programs for children in elementary and middle school. The children meet once during the school week for class work and then meet on the weekends for an outdoor lesson related to the weekly class lesson. The next session  starts September 17th.

Eun-seok takes a break before he goes to the top.

The whole family can come out to our bi-weekly climbing school for new climbers starting September 25th. Every second Saturday, students will come learn new climbing skills and practice old ones in the convenience of an indoor gym within the city of Daejeon.  

Team IGK athlete, Will Wickham, rips towards the finish line.

For the mountain bikers out there, there is no better time to race in Korea than in the fall. Team IGK could still use a few good racers. This is a great way to meet other bikers, see the country and get free stuff! Keep checking up on this blog for race dates under the category Mountain Biking.

Then there are the IGK Climbing Club (CC) outings. The IGK CCs take groups all over the country to venues that match the abilities of climbing members. These are guided adventures where the IGK Guide takes care of anchors and rope management. On top of that, all personal climbing gear is provided for, and a small BBQ ends the day. All you have to do is climb, have fun and relax. The IGK CCs start on September 24th. Check out the webpage for more information: http://iguidekorea.com/igk-cc.html.

Members of the IGK CC Overnight Trip wake up to a beautiful morning.

Get ready for a great autumn! There is more to come like the 3rd Annual IGK Golf Open in October, mountain bike campouts, and other great stuff. Keep visiting our blog or website (http://www.guidekorea.com/) for more information or email us directly at igk@iguidekorea.com.

See you out there!

Awesome climbing.

The overnight trip to Geoje-do (Geoje Island) was fantastic. After a road trip of jokes, junk food and naps, we stumbled out of the cars and headed to the crag, Ae-Bawi located in Hallyeo marine National Park. The crag was empty; nothing but a stunning rock wall and beautiful scenery of the mountains and ocean.

The ladies trying some Korean culture.

Everyone was stoked to climb in the picturesque setting, and with a bit of gumption, most of the climbers climbed all the routes. The climbs started with cruisey warm-up routes, and then moved into facey moves testing people’s creativity in contorting their bodies. The extra effort made the climbs all the more satisfying at the top. At the end of the day, people were craving for more climbs but a sizzling barbeque proved more enticing so we went down to the pension for dinner.    

Climbers having breakfast on the pension's porch.

The pension was worth the trip itself. Pension is a borrowed term from French meaning a boarding house. In Korea, the term refers to condos or cottage-type of accommodations. In our case, it was a huge house with private access to the beach. It may not have been the most luxurious place but the privacy and space made it feel exclusive. It was a great relief to be out of our small apartments in the stuffy cities and be able to stretch out.

While people were settling in, IGK guides were getting the meal ready. The appetizer was vegetarian nachos complete with fried kidney beans, melted mozzarella cheese, sour cream and salsa. The main course was an assortment of grilled delectables, veggie and beef sausages, spiced pork steaks, and veggies. The dinner was accompanied by an excessive amount of beer and soju that got carried into the next day.

The rest of the night ended with light-hearted talks of the climbs and dabbled into world perspectives. This group had a great handle on world perspective with people from Canada, Korea, America, France, Germany, Brazil and Chile. Hearing people switch from one language to another listening and communicating left a comforting impression of unity that put many in a deep sleep.   

Climbers waking up after a great night of revelry.

The next day started slowly with a breakfast of muffins, cereal, toast and coffee. Once people got the sleep out of their eyes, they started talking of the beach and off they went. The rest of the day was spent touring the island and visiting the popular tourist destination, Haegeumgang. Called the Diamond in the Sea, Haegeumgang is a group of islands made from rocky outcrops. The views were inspiring especially to the avid climber. After a seafood lunch at the local restaurant we started the road trip home with more jokes, junk food, and a head full of memories. 

Come join IGK’s next Climbing Club Outing and make your experience in Korea memorable.

IGK Climbing Club Outing: mountains, beaches and friends.

The spectacular view from Ae-Bawi.

The summer is here and the weather is warm and awesome. It’s time to rock it at the beach. The next IGK Climbing Club (CC) outing is going south for an overnight trip to Geoje-do (Geoje Island) to play in the water and rock climb at Ae-Bawi. The trip will be from Saturday, June 11th to Sunday, June 12th.

Ae-Bawi

The CC will be staying at a pension with private access to the ocean and minutes away from sandy Gujora beach.  The highlights of the trip are rad rock climbing with exhilarating views, fun in the sun on the beach, a belly-busting BBQ dinner on Saturday night and a tranquil breakfast the next morning. The cost of the overnight tour is 90,000KRW.  

Private access to ocean downstairs from the pension.

Below is a general outline of the tour: 

Day 1

7: 00 Leave from Chungnam National University (CNU)

10:30 Arrive at Ae-Bawi and rock climb

18:00 Leave for the pension

18:30 Arrive at the pension and start the BBQ party

 Day 2

8:00 Start breakfast

10:00 Check out the town, beach and beachside bouldering

 3:00 Leave for home 

19:00 Arrive at CNU

The fee includes transportation, rock climbing health insurance, pension, BBQ dinner and breakfast. Seats are limited so please reserve by June 8th.

If you have any questions or want to make a reservation, contact Eddy at 010-2080-9443 or igk@iguidekorea.com.

Talk to you soon.

The climbers still all smiles despite the rain.

At 8:00am Thirteen brave climbers huddled around the parking lot of Chungnam National University as ominous clouds loomed above. It had drizzled all morning but that had not deterred the Thirteen from showing up. With coffee in hand and smiles on their faces, they dared to challenge the dark clouds and weather reports to continue forward and towards Halmae Bawi. They dared to go Higher and Higher.

And their gumption paid off (momentarily at least). After a leisurely 2 hour drive from Daejeon, they arrived to an empty crag and warm rainless skies. The threat of rain had scared other parties away from the usually popular crag leaving the only the brave to enjoy the whole place to themselves.

Clarissa showing-off her gumption.

IGK Guide, Eddy Park, started the session with a safety lesson. Then the climbers got into their gear, learned the double figure-8 knot, practiced vocal signals and started pulling on rock. For the first hour, it was too easy. The rock was dry, the day was balmy, and the climbers were cruising up the routes. So mother nature decided to raise the bar, and along came the rain like an ADHD afflicted adolescent pouring down and then momentarily letting up before another downpour. But the Thirteen were not to be deterred too quickly; after all, they knew what they signed up for. So they took to the routes and the rain like champions pushing Harder and Higher like the Spartan King Leonidas climbing his way to the temple of the Ephors. After 7 hours of climbing in sporadic rain, most were drained and all were starving. It was time for the classic IGK BBQ: sausages in a bun and Italian vegetables. A pleasant addition to the BBQ was a scrumptious birthday cake made by Rosie for the two birthday girls, Ingrid and Elissa.

Halmae Bawi

Halmae Bawi is located near the city of Jeong-eup, close to the provincial park Seoneun-san and in the same direction as Seonuen-sa (‘sa’ meaning temple). Locals will know the area as Halmae Bawi or as the former location of the restaurant Asan Garden. Halmae Bawi has recently reopened its doors to climbing. Now that the old land manager has left the area, people can now climb there freely; however, please tread lightly as garbage and general disrespect for the land sparked the first closure.

The rock is very featured limestone and it is right beside a newly built road. The beginner area has three 3 classic 5.8’s. The other classic routes to do are Arirang (5.10a/b) and Redland (5.10b). The approach is non-existent as you can park on the road beside the crag. It’s not a very big area and it is very popular especially on the weekends. But this also gives an opportunity to meet new climbers and get beta on routes. It is worth the trip rain or shine.

Chilling out after the big climb

Last month, IGK had the pleasure of taking Steven Hur from the States out on the classic Insu-bong climb, “Insu B.” The weather was threatening, but in the end, we had a great day with the whole mountain to ourselves. 

Steven figured this trip to Korea would be his last until he finished medical school so we made a video for him to remember the country’s great granite and to have him wanting to come back for more. Enjoy the video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OexJhMk-Sqw

The tireless three belayers

On Saturday, May 7th, Taejeon Christian International School (TCIS) had their annual International Festival (a.k.a. iFest). Spirits were high as students, alumni and parents went from booth to booth sampling tasty treats or having fun at activity tents. But amidst the festivities, towering over the scene, beckoning and challenging participants stood the largest venue of all: the old climbing wall.

Many of the students and alumni have seen and been curious of the climbing wall during their years at TCIS. But, the roped-off wall and bold black letters of the menacing sign, “NO CLIMBING – DANGEROUS – VIOLATORS WILL BE SUSPENDED,” were quite clear. So, the wall stood a looming forbidden oddity in the gymnasium.

It wasn’t until last year when P.E. teacher Peter Pearse decided to give the wall more attention. His idea was to give the students more access through classes and clubs. However, the entire school is moving its location this year. So in order to make sure the climbing wall followed, he asked IGK to help raise money for a new wall and raise interest in climbing. We were happy to oblige, and it turned out to be a great success.

Many of the kids were naturals and a few got up the hardest climbs gaining them snazzy new IGK t-shirts. With the interests high and the high pool of talent, I’m excited about the future developments for the new TCIS climbing wall and the student body.

Good luck and climb hard TCIS Dragons!

The cute couple on their Sport Climbing Course

This past weekend IGK had the pleasure of taking return customers Mike Davie (Canada) and Leslie Kim Lien Dang Ngoc (France) onour 2-Day Sport Climbing Course. The first day of the course was held at Gyerong-san, Chungcheongnam-do on a beautiful spring Saturday. Hints of blooming pink azaleas spotted the mountainous landscape of golden granite and dark green pines. The sun was ever-present basking the mountainside in its warmth. It was a perfect day for climbing and more sensitive matters.

After a full day of learning and practicing all the techniques and skills to safely climb sport routes, we started the 3 pitch rappel back to the base. I went down first to make sure the ropes were clear of obstacles and to set up the anchor for the next rappel. Then I waited…and waited. With a bit of concern, I went back up the route to see if there was something amiss. As I approached Mike and Leslie, their ear-to-ear grins and giddy giggles assured me all was good. Then the brilliant ring on Leslie’s ring finger  assured me that all would be awesome. On that spectacular spring day just as the sun was going down and twilight basked the valley in its soft red aura, Mike had proposed to Leslie.

Robert Doisneau eat your heart out.

Best wishes to the both of you, and thanks for letting us be a part of an incredible memory.

Team IGK enjoying their success on the podium. Photo by Jeroen 'Chop' Root.

On April 2nd and 3rd, IGK’s mountain bike team, Team IGK, competed at the 12th Annual Presidential Race in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do (제천, 충청북도). The downhill (DH) portion was held on a cool, breezy Saturday and the cross-country (XC) race was on the following Sunday.

Will Wickham racing towards 1st place. Photo by Jeoren 'Chop' Root

The Team’s DH riders (Sung-ahn Yoo, Mike Moses, Matt Overington, and Will Wickham) placed in the top 10 ten in their respective categories. The Team’s best performances came from Will Wickham who took the gold in the Intermediate race with Matt Overington behind in 4th. In the Beginner category, Sung-ahn Yoo placed 9th with Mike Moses following close behind for 10th. (For a video of the DH Course check out Matt Overington’s video: Matt Overington\’s Downhill Run).

Matt getting air on the DH.

All the riders liked the course describing it as fun and fast. The upper half of the course had three short technical rock sections that slowed most of the riders down. The second half was faster and flowy with only a few hairpin turns and a couple of short drops. The fastest time came from the Men’s Open Expert category at 3:03:88.

 Since there is no road to drive a shuttle to the top, there was a small monorail trolley that shuttled people up the course during the competition. It took 30 minutes for the shuttle to go up and riders had to watch their bikes from getting crushed from neighboring trees as the route was quite narrow. Unfortunately, the shuttle is not available to the public and only runs on special occasions. Hiking the trail takes about 45 minutes. But, the ride down is worth a few jaunts up the hill, and the hike let’s riders scope out the route.

Eddy Park making up time on the flats.

The XC was another great trail. Unfortunately, the previous weeks of snow and rain left some sections muddy and slick. But riders said that they were eager to come back during drier conditions. Each lap of the XC course was roughly 6km. Racers in the Open category did 4 laps, Intermediates did 3 laps, and Beginners did 2 laps. The course started with down and up sections that required riders to keep momentum up steep climbs. This led into a long uphill section that descended into an awesome steep downhill portion with tight switchbacks. Then a long straight away and a shorter uphill section brought the riders to the end of the lap.

Team IGK's XC riders stoked on a great day of riding.

The competition for the XC was much higher with over a 150 participants. Team IGK XC riders were Jim Toombs, Eddy Park, Chulsu Lim, Mik Fanguy and Mike Moses. Strong performances from the local Korean racers kept IGK riders from the podium. Jim Toombs had the best result for the Team coming in 14^th out of 50 riders in the Men’s Veteran category.

Beware of the paparazzi!

The event was held at the MTB Park in Yongdoo-san (용두산) near Uirimji Reservoir (의림지 일대). This was also the venue for the 2010 Asian Games mountain bike race. The MTB Park is another positive sign of Korea’s growing interest in outdoor sports. Besides the stellar DH and XC courses, the MTB Park has two pump tracks. Furthermore, the city of Jecheon has kilometers of bike paths for leisurely rides (Trivia: Jecheon is an official sister city of Spokane, Washington, USA). The city itself is quiet and quaint, and with the addition of the MTB Park, it has become another great adventure destination for IGK athletes and other outdoor enthusiasts.   

Keep your eye for these jerseys.

For more information on mountain biking in Korea, the Jecheon MTB Park, and mountain bike races, contact Eddy at igk@iguidekorea.com.

See you out there.