Sunday, December 5, 2010

South Korea First Ascents

First Ascents in South Korea from Jesse Bonin on Vimeo.



Here's the first video of South Korea bouldering. The other day I went with the group to the Nabi Bawi area of Busan and saw the famous Kim Lee Project. Supposedly Kim Lee only tried this one day but several others have put in quite a bit of effort from what I hear. I have to say that this thing looked impossible upon first glance. But after figuring out all the tricks it was surprisingly doable. I did the first ascent and named it, after Matt's suggestion, Sandpaper Handjob. I do not know what the grade of this would be. It, like every problem in the world, will feel different for everyone. My best guess is v9 or maybe 10. But who gives a shit. It's a great line with high friction on bad ass slopers, finishing with a tough mantle. Taller people may find this mantle a bit bunchy but there is another method to topping it out after working through the power crux. Props to Kim Lee for envisioning this thing. And thanks so much to the Busan crew for showing it to me. I hope everyone enjoys the video and that it gives a good visual on what the bouldering in Korea is like.

2 comments:

  1. So sick, Jesse! Great video! I want to see the "Sandpaper Handjob" but not experience it. Back home, Joel did Secret Weapon, I'm super close. Joel has put in 3 days on Alcatraz Sit and is soooo close. I filmed it. I almost did the hard dyno right of alcatraz. hey to Brenna and see you soon, amigo!

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  2. handjob was a bit abrasive; can't wait to come back and see some new stuff and maybe road trip it for a while. Still HAVE to see the Job's Peak Boulder.

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