On Sunday, I went with two people to a small (one-story) "rock-climbing gym" in southern Bucheon.
Participants
(1) C.R. My coworker, who has gotten several mentions on this blog. He regularly rock-climbs (climbs rock?), and sometimes does excursions with the Korean gym people to climb real rocks.
(2) A.W. The brother of my friend Jared. He is visiting Korea and wanted to do some rock-climbing. He has long experience in California with rockclimbing.
(3) Me. It was my first time.
I was surprised to see that this "rock climbing gym" was not only one-story, but was in the basement. "Let's go rock-climbing in the basement!" How many times has that sentence been spoken!
Below is a picture of A.W. swinging around, with a Korean man looking on, giving pointers (not that A.W. needed them). That Korean man had gotten on the gym computer and put on loud Beatles music not long after he arrived, which lasted for quite a while. I don't know if he'd normally do that, or if it was our benefit (being foreigners).
Participants
(1) C.R. My coworker, who has gotten several mentions on this blog. He regularly rock-climbs (climbs rock?), and sometimes does excursions with the Korean gym people to climb real rocks.
(2) A.W. The brother of my friend Jared. He is visiting Korea and wanted to do some rock-climbing. He has long experience in California with rockclimbing.
(3) Me. It was my first time.
I was surprised to see that this "rock climbing gym" was not only one-story, but was in the basement. "Let's go rock-climbing in the basement!" How many times has that sentence been spoken!
Below is a picture of A.W. swinging around, with a Korean man looking on, giving pointers (not that A.W. needed them). That Korean man had gotten on the gym computer and put on loud Beatles music not long after he arrived, which lasted for quite a while. I don't know if he'd normally do that, or if it was our benefit (being foreigners).
A.W. Rockclimbing in a Gym in Bucheon, Korea [July 2013]
All of those colored things that jut out? They simulate rock-outcroppings in the wild. The idea is to use them to move around the wall. There are various "courses", varying by difficulty level. My best accomplishment for the day was making it halfway through the easiest course before falling. Falling on that blue padded thing is nothing bad.
We stayed a few hours. It was fun. I went in with no illusions about my ability, and they were confirmed. I couldn't even get a grip on the slanted walls. I could only do even the simplest of maneuvers on the "flat" 90-degree-angle wall (pictured above).
After the simulated-rock-climbing, we went to nearby Bucheon Station area, at my suggestion, and ate Dakgalbi (닭갈비) [See post-15]. The chicken was served as you see, in three large pieces, which were cut down to size by the waiter at the table as it was all cooking. I've never seen it done that way before. Usually it comes already cut up.
We stayed a few hours. It was fun. I went in with no illusions about my ability, and they were confirmed. I couldn't even get a grip on the slanted walls. I could only do even the simplest of maneuvers on the "flat" 90-degree-angle wall (pictured above).
After the simulated-rock-climbing, we went to nearby Bucheon Station area, at my suggestion, and ate Dakgalbi (닭갈비) [See post-15]. The chicken was served as you see, in three large pieces, which were cut down to size by the waiter at the table as it was all cooking. I've never seen it done that way before. Usually it comes already cut up.
Eating Dakgalbi at "Yu Family Restaurant" (유가네) near Bucheon Station [July 2013]
The meal (including unlimited side dishes), plus beer, left us all satiated and happy for only $11 or so per person.
My forearms were sore. Carrying groceries the short distance home on Monday was noticeably harder than usual.
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