Pigeon(비둘기)

Pigeon follows a large flake system on the southwest face of Insubong(인수봉)that leads to then bypasses a large overhanging roof via a short bolt ladder. This puts you directly under a right facing crack into a splitter crack. The protection is plentiful, the exposure is great, and nothing is greased up like the other easy Insubong route. The bolt ladder has older style bolts. Pitche1 and 2 can be linked with a 60m rope easily. Pitches 3 and 4 can be linked with rope drag being an issue. 

Pitches:

P1: 5.6 35m. Climb the shallow cracks, steps, and slab up the where the huge flake starts, use or bypass this anchor and follow the crack left to another anchor. 

P2: 5.6 17m. Continue on the flake left and up past a large detached boulder that’s been secured with bolts and steel wire. Move right once you’re under the roof and belay at the anchor.

P3: A0 17m. Continue right to the end of the roof(peep the badass 5.13- crack that climbs over the roof). Begin the bolt ladder, you’ll need 7 draws for this. Belay at the old style anchors.

P4: 5.7 20m. Start up a right facing crack into a handcrack. The route does not end at the summit, follow slabs up and a chain hand line right. Go up to the left from here and use a giant split Boulder sitting on the summit as your guide.

I advise against starting this route in the afternoon as it is the standard descent route off the summit for the entire mountain. You’ll have large groups throwing ropes and rappelling past you. Finish by 2pm and choose weekdays. You will be in the sun all day, however the valley creates a wind tunnel so there is usually a breeze.

This was my first route on Insubong and is a great climb for a newer leader. The grade is also not sandbagged to comparable traditional climbs in the US. You can plug protection everywhere and the bolt ladder is totally worth it to access the 4th pitch crack and the summit at an easy grade.

Descent: You can rappel from modern, stacked bolts anchor near the wall to reach pitch 3 anchors, there are numerous other anchors closer to the edge of the cliff but offer no advantage for single rope rappels. From there rappel to pitch 2 by trending climbers left(rope stretcher with 60, tie knots). Rappel to ground. 2x60 reaches ground in one go.

Follow the same approach to Insubong and keep heading west uphill through big boulders. Keep Imsubongs south face on your right. Keep hiking and eventually easy scrambling until you reach the pass between Insubong and Baegundae. Look up and right for start from highest point of pass. Use Topo for original start, I’ve always used 5.8 crack alternate start lower down the right for better pro, harder climbing.

Approximate Coordinates: (37.6598255, 126.9797723)

.3-3. Alpine draws to extend as this route wanders, at least 7 draws for bolt ladder.