Crag Description
Byeong Pung Am, located in the beautiful Mureung Valley, has about 18 routes, many of which are two pitch climbs. The rock is high friction (and somewhat sharp) granite. Most of the climbs have a bolt or three, but there are only three or four that are fully bolted. There are easily protected cracks, face climbing, and a couple of overhangs. Where the place really shines is in 5.9 cracks. They are Suweeeeet! The anchors are decent, although some of the less traveled climbs have ratty webbing- it wouldn't hurt to bring a knife and some fresh webbing.
Climbing Grades: 8 - 13
Type: Rock Climb Style: Trad+Sport
Safety Concerns
WEAR A HELMET! Although the rock is generally high quality, we had some rock fall issues... bring some extra webbing for some of the anchors... Most of the bolts were ok, but some showed a lot of rust.
Recommended Equipment
12 quickdraws are more than enough. Most of the climbs are around 30 meters, so bring a 60 meter rope. Of the climbs I did, I never needed anything bigger than a number 3 Camalot. If you have .5-3 Camalots, you should be alright, although some smaller pieces wouldn't hurt.
Additional Comments
The crag gets sun in the morning. Food and water are 45 minutes down the trail. I haven't seen any other climbers there, though I haven't been on a Sunday. This fact alone makes it a great destination! There are 3 small tent sites, and if you have a water filter, you can pump water from the stream (about 5 minutes from the climbing). If you do camp, bring a trowel and bury your waste!!! The setting for this crag is amazing, and the hike up to the crag is reason enough to come. This place is GREAT for learning how to crack climb.
Directions
Driving: Get to Donghae on highway 7. If coming from the north, you will pass a K2 store on your right. Just after the K2 store, you will come to a large intersection, with a sign for MuReung Valley (무릉 게곡), telling you to turn right. From then on, follow the signs! It is very easy! From the intersection, it should take about 10 minutes. Public transpo: Take a bus to Donghae. When you get to the bus station, either jump a cab (about 11 km) or ask about a bus to Mureung Valley (무릉 게곡). From the parking lot, go past all of the shops and restaurants, and go to the ticket office. After buying your ticket, follow the main trail through a beautiful boulder-strewn valley for about 45 minutes (2.6 km). If you are ever unsure if you are going the right way, you should be following signs to Yongchu Falls (용추폭포) and Ssang Falls (쌍폭포). As you approach Ssang Falls, you should be able to see the crag above the trees on your right, on the other side of the stream. Continue up the trail, cross the bridge (over the slot canyon), and go past Ssang falls toward Yongchu Falls. Before you get to Yongchu falls, there should be a faint trail up the mountain, toward the crag. Scramble up, and you have arrived!
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