HAZEL FINDLAY IN SOUTH KOREA

The roots of Black Diamond spread deep and wide.

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

In fact, beginning in the mid-1980’s, a chance meeting with the psyched climbers of South Korea has now blossomed into one of BD’s strongest partnerships. As South Korea continues to make waves in the global climbing community with young phenoms such as Chaehyun Seo routinely shattering barriers and winning world cups, BD Athletes Hazel Findlay and Colette McInerney wanted to explore Black Diamond’s Korean roots, and experience the now thriving climbing culture that has become part of our global heritage. Check out this beautiful film made by Colette, for a glimpse into the world of South Korean climbing.

Videos and Images: Colette McInerney

“You’re going to South Korea!” Russ Clune enthusiastically repeated back to me after I did indeed say I was going to South Korea for a climbing trip with fellow BD athlete Hazel Findlay.

Once back on the ground I got more candid with some of the in-house BD Korea team, as a few of the older climbers told me about the history of the area and countless days and weeks they had spent on these walls while camping in the forest below, which was now forbidden. As I chatted with one of the older members he started telling the story of American Russ Clune’s trip to Seoul many years ago. He echoed the similar tales of an exciting time in Korean Climbing, the onslaught of new free-routes and the beginnings of lifelong friendships. Ho-jin Jung, now the president of Black Diamond Korea and still an avid climber today, asked if I could tell Russ he said says “Hi” next time I see him. I flipped my phone around and we took a selfie together, which I then sent to Russ right there from the base of the route.

-Colette McInerney

“If you see Ho-jin Jung tell him I said hi!” I hated to break it to Russ that the chances of me running into a climber he had rendezvoused with on the granite cliffs outside of Seoul over 20 years ago was highly unlikely. Instead I smiled politely as Russ continued to boast about his past trip, love for the island and the plentiful rock there. He explained how during his trip back in 1985 the rules of Korean trad climbing where still being laid. Many routes were still being aided and had yet to be free climbed. Russ arrived full of his usual New York candor and fresh out of Yosemite’s bustling free climbing scene. Under the guidance of Ho-Jin Jung, Russ was invited to try a number undone lines, many of which he established first free ascents of, and in the process he created a life long friend with Jung.

Though we were diving deep into the traditional routes of the Korean climbing community, Hazel was encouraged to present a video and teach a few clinics at a local climbing gym, which meant we also had a chance to meet with up-and-coming phenom and competition climber, Chaehyun Seo. Not only had she already sent 14d/9a outdoors at age 14, but in the months following our meet up with her in Seoul she took first place at her second World Cup competition securing a place for herself in the Olympics. Many have wondered about the special sauce Korean climbers have been taking the last years while they continue to dominate competition wins. What I saw were highly motivated communities that stemmed from the top down. They didn’t segregate or pronounce any one aspect of climbing to be more important than the next. They were all climbers in it together who strived to push themselves and the sport as a whole to the next level.

On one of our final days, Wookyung and Soohang proposed a group climb of the famous “Chouinard A” route at Insubong Peak with some employees from the BD Korea office. At first we felt a bit apprehensive about so many people climbing on the same route, with language barriers at belays and trying to capture some media at the same time. Our worries were quickly dismantled as everyone there was an expert climber with even one of Korea’s professional climbers Myounghee Lee joining us for the day.