Petra Klingler / climbing like a Bouldering World Champion in South Korea

A few days ago the 24-year-old Swiss climber Petra Klingler - crowned Bouldering World Champion in Paris in September - travelled to Gwangju in South Korea where she was invited to take part in the first Mu Deung San Bouldering Festival. The meeting attracted over 400 climbers from across the country, including2015 World Cup winner Jongwon Chon who freed one 8B boulder problem and one 8B+ . Before the event the Swisswoman got a taste for the country's climbing on the technical granite slabs at In Su Bong, with Seoul's thousands of appartments in the background, and on the overhangs at Sun Woon San.


A FIRST TRIP TO SOUTH KOREA by Petra Klingler

Looking back on the trip to South Korea fills me with joy. This journey was an incredible adventure and I enjoyed every moment of it. I learnt a lot of new things about the culture, the people and the country itself. Before traveling to the other side of the world I didn’t know what to expect but right from the first moment when I was picked up, I knew it would be an amazing trip and that I would regret not being able to stay longer.

It was mind blowing to drive for only an hour from the center of Seoul and then see the amazing In Su Bong mountain appear out of nowhere. I would never have expected that. Clibming this peak was so fun and motivating. I haven’t climbed multi-pitches for a while and consequently I wasn’t perfectly prepared for it, but it reminded me how much I enjoy them. I’d totally forgotten how amazing it is to be in the middle of the wall, to look down a few hundred meters and enjoy this amazing view over the landscape.

Not only was I impressed by the rock in Seoul, but wherever I went it was so much better than I had expected. The sport climbing area we visited was just how I like it: there was a bit of everything… long and short climbs, bouldery routes and lines that require great stamina. They looked amazing, with all those pockets, and I promised myself that I’d have to return one day.

What was nicest though about this adventure to Korea was that everyone welcomed me with open arms. Although communicating wasn’t always easy, I felt good being there and could really sense that I was welcome! I met some many amazing people, who are so ambitious about their climbing and love it as much as I do. And seeing all these climbers come to the bouldering festival was a huge inspiration - this is exactly what climbing is all about. Getting together, having a good time, eating and talking while trying these hard boulders all together. And it was inspiring to see these young kids fighting their way up these boulders, without being worried out falling from heights where I myself would have been afraid! Seeing them give 150%, wanting to climb this problem so badly was amazing.

Even though the Korean culture is rather different than ours in Switzerland, I found it really interesting to see and learn from it and in my opinion we can learn a lot from this culture. For example, the way everyone gets together to eat: it is completely normal to share food together, it’s far more social! Sharing is totally normal in this culture, as well as a sincere respect for others and nature!

At the end of this trip I really didn’t want to return home and I can’t get the idea out of my head about going back. I’m planning on returning as soon as possible and hope to meet all these people again. Thanks so much to everybody for making my time in Korea so special!